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"Merchantman Steamer" in Oils and Carved Relief
c. 1920Subcollections
Overview
A framed picture of the "Merchantman Steamer" which was traded of the Busselton Jetty for a Kangaroo Skin c1920. The ship is a carved relief that is pasted onto a background painted in oils on thin ply wood. The rigging is made of cotton. On the back of the "Merchantman Steamer" is a painting of a Japanese lady in traditional costume.
Historical information
There is no artist by the name of S Noguchi on record but Isamu Noguchi (November 17, 1904 – December 30, 1988) was an Japanese / American artist and landscape architect whose artistic career spanned six decades, from the 1920s onward. Between 1910 -1922 Isamu spent much time travelling between the US and Japan, probably by steamer, and whilst he attended an American high school he went by the name "Sam Gilmore".
What a great story if this painting was actually painted by an unknown schoolboy calling himself Sam Noguchi, who was on one of his many steamer voyages of that time. He then traded it with a sailor, who then traded it for a kangaroo skin on the Busselton Jetty and then many years later it finally ended up on the walls of our museum!
Details
Details
Registration number
cwa-org-124-2024.126
Item type
Themes
Width
75 cm
Height or length
51 cm
Inscriptions and markings
The painting is signed
S Noguchi
Contextual Information
A merchantman steamer is a steam powered watercraft that transports cargo and / or passengers for hire.
Keywords
Year
Primary significance criteria
Social or spiritual significance
Busselton Historical Society
Busselton Historical Society
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Other items from Busselton Historical Society
Painting of the "Merchantman Steamer"
The picture of a Japanese lady that is painted in oils on the reverse
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