Open Forum

Dear All

I am looking for an image of a painting that dates from either the late 18th or early 19th century's.  The painting is off Boston harbor in the winter and shows a large ship with a large sled witch is piled with crates and people walking on the ice. I hope that you all may have some suggestions or know something I don't about where to look that I haven't. I look forward to all in-sight.

Thanks,

Rachel

Artworks and Archives to Check

1. Boston Museum of Fine Arts (MFA)
   They hold a number of 18th and 19th-century maritime and winter scenes. Try searching their collection for works by:

   • Fitz Henry Lane (active in the mid-1800s)

   • Robert Salmon (active in Boston during the 1820s–30s)

2. Boston Public Library Digital Collections
   Their Leventhal Map Center and art archives contain engravings and paintings showing Boston Harbor in different seasons, especially during historical weather events.

3. Historic New England (formerly SPNEA)
   Their online archive includes folk art and early American winter scenes, some depicting life and commerce on frozen harbors.

4. American Antiquarian Society or Peabody Essex Museum (PEM)
   Both have strong maritime and early New England holdings. PEM, in particular, has ship paintings and Salem/Boston port scenes.

Possible Artists/Subjects

• William Pierce Stubbs, while slightly later, depicted New England maritime scenes with accuracy and winter themes.

• George Ropes, Jr. or Nathaniel Currier (of Currier & Ives fame) also produced popular winter scenes - though Currier's works tend to be lithographs.

Keyword Suggestions for Online Search

Try the following search terms in museum or image databases (like Artstor, the Digital Public Library of America, or Google Arts & Culture):

• "Boston Harbor winter painting"

• "Boston frozen harbor 1800s"

• "sleds on ice Boston port"

• "maritime winter scene 19th century"

• "people crossing frozen harbor painting"

Historical Context You Can Leverage

• The Little Ice Age impacted New England winters well into the early 1800s. In 1779–1780, Boston Harbor froze so solid that people walked across to Castle Island.

• Any artist working around that time might have captured it in painting or print - including unknown or folk artists.

Next Steps

If you're doing this for research, I'd suggest:

• Reaching out directly to curators at the MFA Boston or PEM.

• Searching on Archives of American Art or Historic New England's collection search.

• Checking the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs collection - they occasionally hold lithographs or lesser-known engravings of ice-related harbor activity.

Good Luck!

Matt

Dear All

I am looking for an image of a painting that dates from either the late 18th or early 19th century's.  The painting is off Boston harbor in the winter and shows a large ship with a large sled witch is piled with crates and people walking on the ice. I hope that you all may have some suggestions or know something I don't about where to look that I haven't. I look forward to all in-sight.

Thanks,

Rachel

Artworks and Archives to Check

1. Boston Museum of Fine Arts (MFA)
   They hold a number of 18th and 19th-century maritime and winter scenes. Try searching their collection for works by:

   • Fitz Henry Lane (active in the mid-1800s)

   • Robert Salmon (active in Boston during the 1820s–30s)

2. Boston Public Library Digital Collections
   Their Leventhal Map Center and art archives contain engravings and paintings showing Boston Harbor in different seasons, especially during historical weather events.

3. Historic New England (formerly SPNEA)
   Their online archive includes folk art and early American winter scenes, some depicting life and commerce on frozen harbors.

4. American Antiquarian Society or Peabody Essex Museum (PEM)
   Both have strong maritime and early New England holdings. PEM, in particular, has ship paintings and Salem/Boston port scenes.

Possible Artists/Subjects

• William Pierce Stubbs, while slightly later, depicted New England maritime scenes with accuracy and winter themes.

• George Ropes, Jr. or Nathaniel Currier (of Currier & Ives fame) also produced popular winter scenes - though Currier's works tend to be lithographs.

Keyword Suggestions for Online Search

Try the following search terms in museum or image databases (like Artstor, the Digital Public Library of America, or Google Arts & Culture):

• "Boston Harbor winter painting"

• "Boston frozen harbor 1800s"

• "sleds on ice Boston port"

• "maritime winter scene 19th century"

• "people crossing frozen harbor painting"

Historical Context You Can Leverage

• The Little Ice Age impacted New England winters well into the early 1800s. In 1779–1780, Boston Harbor froze so solid that people walked across to Castle Island.

• Any artist working around that time might have captured it in painting or print - including unknown or folk artists.

Next Steps

If you're doing this for research, I'd suggest:

• Reaching out directly to curators at the MFA Boston or PEM.

• Searching on Archives of American Art or Historic New England's collection search.

• Checking the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs collection - they occasionally hold lithographs or lesser-known engravings of ice-related harbor activity.

Good Luck!

Matt

Dear All

I am looking for an image of a painting that dates from either the late 18th or early 19th century's.  The painting is off Boston harbor in the winter and shows a large ship with a large sled witch is piled with crates and people walking on the ice. I hope that you all may have some suggestions or know something I don't about where to look that I haven't. I look forward to all in-sight.

Thanks,

Rachel

Dear All

I am looking for an image of a painting that dates from either the late 18th or early 19th century's.  The painting is off Boston harbor in the winter and shows a large ship with a large sled witch is piled with crates and people walking on the ice. I hope that you all may have some suggestions or know something I don't about where to look that I haven't. I look forward to all in-sight.

Thanks,

Rachel

Hi Rachel - My daughter lives in the Boston area and did a quick search - this is the only image she could find with a sled. Good Luck!

John S Blunt, Boston Harbor, 1835 - google this and image will pop up.

Dear All

I am looking for an image of a painting that dates from either the late 18th or early 19th century's.  The painting is off Boston harbor in the winter and shows a large ship with a large sled witch is piled with crates and people walking on the ice. I hope that you all may have some suggestions or know something I don't about where to look that I haven't. I look forward to all in-sight.

Thanks,

Rachel