Joshua Slocum set sail from Boston on this day in 1895 in his 37-foot sloop, Spray. After more than three years and 46,000 miles, Slocum sailed back into Newport, Rhode Island, as the first man to circumnavigate the world solo.
High Seas Conqueror
Joshua Slocum set sail from Boston on this day in 1895 in his 37-foot sloop, Spray. After more than three years and 46,000 miles, Slocum sailed back into Newport, Rhode Island, as the first man to circumnavigate the world solo.
James Fitzgerald's The Helmsman evokes the solitude, harsh weather, and deadly currents Slocum overcame in his journey.
Fitzgerald (1899–1971), best known for his watercolors, was born in Boston and worked successfully in Monterey, California. In the 1940s, he withdrew to Monhegan Island, Maine, where he spent much of his later career.
Pictured: James Fitzgerald, 1899 USA–1971 Ireland, The Helmsman, n.d., watercolor, Chinese ink, and pencil on paper, 22 x 30 1/4 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Edgar F. Hubert.