Naval Ingenuity at Sea: HMS Grafton's Homeward Voyage, 1758

View Similar Items

Naval Engagement at Unalata, Guam: The Peril of HMS Success, circa 1790

Napoleon's Final Voyage: HMS Bellerophon on the Waters of Exile, 1872

Sloth Engraving Circa 1758

A View of the Ruins of the Pantheon at Athens by Julien-David Le Roy, 1758

Final Voyage: The Death of Captain Cook at Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, 1779

Antique Print of the Sea Voyage to Nova Zembla, Russia, circa 1730

Antique Print of a Steel Mill, 1758

Antique Print of a Male Zebra, '1758'

Antique Print of a Burial at Sea, circa 1870

18th-Century Miniature Engraving – Madrid, 1758

Britannia's Pride at Sea: Return from the Anchorage, circa 1920

Vintage Framed and Signed Print of Sail Boat at Sea.

About the Item

HMS Grafton was a British Royal Navy ship active during the 18th century. The ship’s history is part of the broader narrative of British naval operations during a period marked by colonial expansion, exploration, and frequent maritime conflicts, particularly the War of the Spanish Succession and the Seven Years' War. Commodore Charles Holmes was a notable naval officer of the period. He served in the Royal Navy and was involved in several important naval battles and expeditions. One of his significant roles was during the Seven Years' War, where he participated in operations in the West Indies and along the North American coast. As for HMS Grafton itself, ships of this era were typically third-rate ships of the line or frigates, armed with a substantial number of cannons and manned by crews of several hundred sailors and officers. They were the workhorses of the Royal Navy, involved in blockades, escort duties, patrols, and battles. The mention of the ship losing its rudder and sailing back to England with a "Machine Constructed instead" is a testament to the ingenuity of the crew and the improvisational skills often necessary in naval operations at the time. The specific details of HMS Grafton's design, voyages, and battles would be recorded in the ship's logs, naval records, and historical accounts of the period. These details can provide a richer picture of the ship's service history and the life and career of Commodore Charles Holmes. Such records are typically held in national archives or maritime museums and can be a valuable resource for researchers interested in naval history. The text on the engraving provides several pieces of information about the image: 1. The engraving is sourced from "The Universal Magazine" and is dated at the top as being from 1758. It was intended for publication or distribution at the "King's Arms in Newgate Street, London," which likely refers to a bookseller or publisher located there at the time. 2. The ship depicted is "His MAJESTY'S SHIP the GRAFTON, Commodore CHARLES HOLME'S, Commander," indicating that this vessel was part of the British Royal Navy and under the command of a Commodore Holmes. 3. It notes that the ship "sailed to England with a Machine Constructed instead of her Rudder, which she lost in the late Storm off Louisbourgh." This suggests that the GRAFTON had suffered damage to its rudder, a critical component for steering the ship, and had to employ an innovative mechanical solution to make the journey back to England. 4. The artwork for the engraving was "Drawn by an Officer on Board," implying that an eyewitness, likely with navigational or artistic skills, was responsible for the original drawing that the engraving is based on. The engraver's name appears to be "Bryce Sculpsit" or "Bryce Sculpt.," indicating the person who engraved the image. The engraving would be of particular interest to naval historians or enthusiasts of maritime history, highlighting the resourcefulness of the ship's crew and the adaptability of naval technology during the 18th century. It also provides a visual record of the GRAFTON, a naval ship from the mid-1700s, which might have been involved in various military campaigns, possibly including the Seven Years' War, given the date of the engraving.

Dimensions:
Height: 8.08 in (20.5 cm)Width: 9.65 in (24.5 cm)Depth: 0 in (0.02 mm)
Materials and Techniques:
Paper,Engraved
Period:
Mid-18th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1758
Condition:
Good. Light soiling, mostly around the borders, due to age and handling. Two folding lines, as published. Study the image carefully.
Seller Location:
Langweer, NL
Reference Number:
Seller: BG-13599-131stDibs: LU3054338005982

More From This Seller

View All

Naval Engagement at Unalata, Guam: The Peril of HMS Success, circa 1790

Located in Langweer, NL

This is an 18th-century engraving depicting a nautical scene with dramatic action. The image shows two sailing ships in a state of distress near a rocky coastline, with the central s...

Category

Antique Late 18th Century Prints

Materials

Paper

Naval Engagement at Unalata, Guam: The Peril of HMS Success, circa 1790

$207 Sale Price

20% Off

Napoleon's Final Voyage: HMS Bellerophon on the Waters of Exile, 1872

Located in Langweer, NL

This original antique image is a print depicting the H.M.S. Bellerophon, a ship of the British Royal Navy. The print is rendered in a monochromatic color scheme with subtle hand colo...

Category

Antique 1870s Prints

Materials

Paper

Napoleon's Final Voyage: HMS Bellerophon on the Waters of Exile, 1872

$103 Sale Price

20% Off

Antique Print of a Steel Mill, 1758

Located in Langweer, NL

Antique print titled 'Mr Lyon's Steel Mill'. Print of a steel mill. This print originates from 'The Universal Magazine of Knowledge and Pleasure'. Artists...

Category

Antique 18th Century Prints

Materials

Paper

Antique Print of a Steel Mill, 1758

$94 Sale Price

20% Off

Antique Print of a Male Zebra, '1758'

Located in Langweer, NL

Antique print titled 'ZEBRA mas, sive Assinus sylvestris Africanus. Drawn from a stuff’d Skin in the Royal College of Physicians, London'. Rare zoological study of a male Zebra, [typ...

Category

Antique Mid-18th Century Prints

Materials

Paper

Antique Print of a Male Zebra, '1758'

$470 Sale Price

20% Off

Final Voyage: The Death of Captain Cook at Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, 1779

Located in Langweer, NL

Copper engraving from Thomas Bankes’s “New System of Geography” published by Royal Authority c.1775 This engraving for sale depicts a scene of Karakakooa Bay in Owyhee (Hawaii), whe...

Category

Antique 1770s Prints

Materials

Paper

Final Voyage: The Death of Captain Cook at Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, 1779

$273 Sale Price

20% Off

Antique Print of a Burial at Sea, circa 1870

Located in Langweer, NL

Antique print titled 'Peace - Burial of Wilkie'. Moonlit coastal view, with funeral steamboat in the centre, figures aboard raising torches. The painter David Wilkie died of typhoid on his return from the Holy Land in 1841. The Governor of Gibraltar refused to allow the body ashore and Wilkie was buried at sea. Turner painted the original painting in his memory, placing a funeral carriage on the deck of the ship to stand for the public funeral Wilkie should have had. When asked about the unnaturally black sails...

Category

Antique 19th Century Prints

Materials

Paper

Antique Print of a Burial at Sea, circa 1870

$103 Sale Price

20% Off

Antique 1750s English Prints

Materials

Paper

Sloth Engraving Circa 1758

$1,450

A View of the Ruins of the Pantheon at Athens by Julien-David Le Roy, 1758

By Le Roy

Located in Kenilworth, IL

“A View of the Ruins of the Pantheon built by Adrian at Athens” (Vue des Ruines du Pantheon bati par Adrien a Athenes) is an engraving from one of Classical Greek architectural struc...

Category

Antique 1750s French Prints

Materials

Paper

A View of the Ruins of the Pantheon at Athens by Julien-David Le Roy, 1758

$1,200

18th-Century Miniature Engraving – Madrid, 1758

Located in Madrid, ES

Antique engraving dated 1758, framed in its original wooden frame. Origin: Madrid, Spain. Condition: Well-preserved with fine details. Frame: Authentic 18th-century wooden frame. D...

Category

Antique 1750s Prints

Materials

Paper

18th-Century Miniature Engraving – Madrid, 1758

$694

Vintage Framed and Signed Print of Sail Boat at Sea.

Located in Seattle, WA

Print is within a gold toned wooden frame. Slight Patina. Artwork of sailboat going through the stormy weather. Vintage Condition Consistent with Age as Pictured. Dimensions. 15 W ;...

Category

Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Prints

Materials

Wood

Vintage Framed and Signed Print of Sail Boat at Sea.

$149

Tsuchiya Koitsu Japanese Woodblock Print Sunset at Tomonotsu, Inland Sea, 1940

By Tsuchiya Koitsu

Located in Studio City, CA

A very beautiful, serene and relatively rare woodblock print by famed Japanese artist Tsuchiya Koitsu titled "Sunset at Tomonotsu, Inland Sea" was made...

Category

Vintage 1940s Japanese Showa Prints

Materials

Paper

Tsuchiya Koitsu Japanese Woodblock Print Sunset at Tomonotsu, Inland Sea, 1940

$895

Signed Snaffles WW I Naval Print. Gentlemen Unafraid.

By Charles "Snaffles" Johnson Payne

Located in Oxfordshire, GB

Snaffles WW I Naval print "Gentlemen Unafraid". A coloured Snaffles lithograph entitled "Gentlemen Unafraid" showing sailors in the bow of a boat "Bedelia...

Category

Early 20th Century British Campaign Prints

Materials

Paper

Signed Snaffles WW I Naval Print. Gentlemen Unafraid.

$1,313