Object Record
Images
Metadata
Artist |
Unknown |
Title |
The Clipper Ship Samuel Russell at Sea |
Object Name |
Painting |
Catalog Number |
2011.6.13 |
Description |
Early in the morning of January 14th 1848 on his first commanding voyage, a nightmare awoke Captain Charles Porter Low. The captain decided to check the barometer, which had dropped significantly, and he hastily ordered the crew to prepare for a storm. As the sails were reefed and furled just south of the Cape of Good Hope, the Houqua ran directly into a hurricane, and in a matter of minutes, every sail was ripped to shreds, the top gallant masts were snapped, and the bowsprit broken off. A series of thirty foot spoondrift waves then rocked the Houqua against her beam ends, and Low was thrown over the side. On his way into the sea, Low somehow managed to grab hold of a line and pull himself back onto deck, whereupon he ordered the mainmast rigging cut, and the Houqua ultimately saved. After a successful twenty-five year career in command of clipper ships such as the Houqua, the N.B. Palmer, and the Samuel Russell, Captain Charles Porter Low retired to the first home built on Santa Barbara's Mesa in 1873. |
Date |
c. 1860 |
Medium |
Oil |
Material |
Canvas |
Image size |
26" x 38" |
Frame size |
31 1/2" x 42" x 2" |
Credit line |
Gift of Dorothy and Ashleigh Brilliant in memory of Helen and Marjorie Low |