4770

THOMAS G. PURVIS

England, 1861-1933

S.S. President Taft of the Dollar Line.

Signed and dated lower left "T.G. Purvis 27".
Oil on canvas, 16" x 27.25". Framed 22.25" x 33.25".
Condition: The absence of a condition report does not imply an object is free of defects. All items may have normal signs of age and wear commensurate with their age; these issues will likely not be mentioned in the condition report. Please contact Eldred's before the auction with any condition questions. Questions about condition will not be answered after purchase. Condition reports are provided as a courtesy, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Important note on frames: Frames are not guaranteed to be in the same condition as they are in the item photograph. Due to handling and shipping, many frames, especially antique ones, are prone to losses. If you have questions about the condition of a frame, please contact us prior to the auction. 

  • Provenance:
    Vallejo Gallery, Newport Beach, California, 1998.
    The Kelton Collection of Marine Art & Artifacts.

    Notes:
    S.S.
    President Taft originally launched as one of the "state" ships, completed by the United States Shipping Board as cargo/passenger ships after being laid down as troop transports. Originally assigned to the Matson Navigation Company as the Shipping Board's agent, the ship was later renamed "President Taft" and assigned to Pacific Mail Steamship Company for operation. In 1925 the Shipping Board sold the ship to Dollar Steamship Company. President Taft was operated by Dollar and then its successor, American President Lines, until requisitioned by the War Department on June 17, 1941, and renamed U.S.A.T. Willard A. Holbrook .

    She was at sea when the attack on Pearl Harbor happened, and the convoy improvised defenses, including painting the ships gray while underway. With reports of Japanese activity in the Ellice Islands only some 300 miles away, the Navy ordered a stop at Suva, Fiji Islands, while the convoy's destination was reconsidered.

    She was active in the Pacific Theater during World War II as a troop transport ship, and at the end of the war she was laid up in the Hudson River then moved to the James River Reserve Fleet.
    In December 1949 the ship was declared surplus and in October 1957 she was sold for scrap.

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March 1, 2023 9:30 AM EST
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