A charming and historic antique circa 1900 gouache on board painting, signed "Tully", of the United States Lighthouse Tender (USLHT) Steamship Fleet. The ships ran supplies (tended) to the crews who worked on the hundreds of Great Lakes lighthouses. On the back of the painting the ships are labeled left to right: Clover, Anemone, Sumac, Hyacinth, Dahlia. In between Clover and Anemone is the White Shoal lighthouse.
White Shoal lighthouse sits 20 miles east of Mackinac Point at a notably treacherous area of Lake Michigan, is the tallest of the Great Lakes lighthouses, and was completed in 1908. The lighthouse is known for having red stripes but those are absent here, perhaps indicating the painting was completed at the same time as the White Shoal lighthouse construction, prior to it being painted.
The specific ships are noted in documentation of the USLHT steamship fleet, so this is not only a beautiful maritime painting, but is interesting in that it is a historical document. The painting itself is accented with a cream colored French line mat and enclosed in a birdseye maple frame with glass. Ready to hang! Framed measurements 14.75" x 29.25"L x 1"D
Condition commensurate with age and use. Painting is well preserved. This was framed with archival framing materials in the late 20th century by a gallery in Denver, CO. The documentation on the back of the painting indicates the ship names and was likely cut off of the original mat and frame when it was re-framed. Ships via UPS Ground within 5 days.
