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SS Urana (1924 - 1937) at Iluka by glmrsnsw

This report prepared by Chris Borough, Graham Nicholson and Philip Pope

Steamer URANA at Iluka New South Wales, December 1934. The Urana, built in Glascow for the North Coast Steam Navigation Co. Ltd, she plied the coastal ports - typically bringing coal from Newcastle and agricultural products to southern markets.

She was wrecked on submerged rocks off Old Bar on 31st August 1937. Ernest Wright purchased the Wreck on 8th September 1937.

DETAILS

Name: Urana

Type: Steel hulled twin screw steamer

Builder: Built on the Clyde in Port Glasgow, Scotland by Lithgow Ltd.

Launched: ˜1924 no precise date known

Left Glasgow May 10th 1924

Arrived Sydney 25th July 1924 after journey of 76 days

Official Number: 151995

Registered: Sydney 30th July 1924 - 18/1924

Engines: 2 x 3-cylinder triple expansion engines; dual shaft 2 screws. Built by David Rowan & Co. Ltd, Glasgow

Length: 153 ft

Breadth: 34.6 ft

Depth in Hold: 9.5 ft

Tonnage: n.b. 1 shipping ton = 100 cu. ft (2.83 cu. m.)

Gross: 518.87 tons

Net (Register): 187.24 tons (529.89 cu. m.)

OWNER

One only – The North Coast Steam Navigation Company Limited,

JOURNEY TO AUSTRALIA

The Urana left Glasgow on 10th May 1924 and travelled via the Suez Canal to Colombo Sydney where loaded coal. She next headed to Singapore and then, on 12th July, Thursday Island in the Torres Strait. She finally reached Sydney on 25th July after a journey of 76 days.

RESCUE OF SURF-BOAT

LONG ROW - SURF CREW'S ORDEAL

NEWCASTLE. Friday.

The Palm Beach surf-boat crew, which set out early yesterday morning to row to Newcastle for the surf-boat carnival, arrived in Newcastle early this afternoon.

Not long after the men had started, a strong north-easter compelled them to land at M'Master's Beach for a spell. In making the landing the captain, A. Goddard, was struck by one of the sweeps and knocked overboard, but was not injured.

After a rest, the crew continued the journey, but was obliged to put in to Terrigal, and stop there until this morning, when the journey was resumed. After covering three miles, the men noticed the North Coast Company's steamer Urana coming north, and were taken in tow, reaching Newcastle without further mishap.

The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1883 - 1930) - Sat 13 Feb 1926

REGULAR GROUNDING

Like many of the vessels plying the North Coast of NSW, grounding was a common event

URANA RETURNING

Because of the blocked state of the entrance to the Tweed River, the cargo steamer Urana has returned to the Richmond River. She crossed in late yesterday afternoon, and will discharge her coal at Broadwater sugar mill. The vessel has been waiting outside the Tweed river in the hope that conditions on the bar would improve so that she could unload a quantity of coal for the Condong sugar mill. The steamer will probably secure her back loading from other coastal rivers before returning to Sydney.

Northern Star (Lismore, NSW : 1876 - 1954) - Fri 14 Sep 1934

STEAMER OFF

The steamer Urana, which was aground on the shoal near the entrance all last week, managed to get off on Sunday last, and later proceeded to the wharf. She cleared again for Sydney on Tuesday. The channel entrance is very narrow, and the sand in that locality is continually altering the contour of the harbour. The Port Macquarie News and Hastings River Advocate (NSW : 1882 - 1950) - Sat 14 Mar 1936

FATE – WRECKED AT OLD BAR - 31st AUGUST 1937

The Urana left Newcastle yesterday morning [30th August] for the Macleay River, with a cargo of coal aboard. She was in charge of Captain Broder, with Mr. Butcher as mate, and carried two engineers, a steward, a cook, four firemen, and eight seamen. The Port Macquarie News and Hastings River Advocate (NSW : 1882 - 1950) Saturday 4 September 1937

STRUCK SUNKEN REEF

The postmaster at Old Bar (Mr. C. Parish) was the first to see that the vessel had got into difficulties. "I was sitting in the post office, which overlooks the bay, at 5 p.m. he said, "when I saw the lights of a vessel coming out of the heavy fog. It was heading straight for the shore. About 600 yards out, it struck a sunken reef. I heard a shuddering jar. "I gave the alarm, telephoned Harrington, where I knew there was a rocket apparatus, and notified the tug at Forster. Then I ran down to the beach. "A few seconds after she struck the vessel sent up one rocket after another. I could see her wireless crackling, apparently sending out S.O.S. signals.” The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) Wed 1 Sep 1937

SHIPWRECK IN FOG. THE URANA CREW SAVED.

Ship a Total Loss.

The North Coast S.N. Co.'s steamer Urana (519 tons) ran ashore in a heavy fog at Old Bar (Manning River) last night, and is believed, to be a total loss. Sixteen members of the crew of 17 reached the shore safely in the ship's lifeboat last night. The seventeenth man, however, a Norwegian, named Torneio [nb Torneio is a Portuguese name], failed to leave with the others, and was in a precarious position until rescued several hours later by a surf-boat, which had been rushed from Taree.

The Urana has broken in two and only her bridge and upper works are showing above water. When the lifeboat was lowered after the Urana broke in two most or the crew jumped into the sea and were picked up.

Later another man was seen on the wreck, He was a Norwegian member of the crew named Torneio. It was thought, at first, that he had jumped into the water with other members of the crew but failed to swim to the lifeboat, and then climbed up a hanging rope back on to the Urana. The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) Wed 1 Sep 1937

SURF-BOAT TO RESCUE.

With the Urana apparently breaking up fast, Torneio's position was precarious. No rescue boat was available at Old Bar. There was no surf-boat and the surf was too heavy to risk taking out the ship's lifeboat again. The aid of the Taree-Old Bar Surf Club was sought. A telephone call was made to Taree and, as a result, five members of the club brought a surf-boat by lorry 10 miles from Taree to Old Bar.

The rescue boat did not reach Old Bar until well after midnight. The lifesavers-Messrs. Vic. Bushby, Alf. Gaggin, Andy Northam, Jack Strangwidge, and Alwin Bennet – immediately set out in it. for the wreck. Braving the treacherous night surf, they reached the Urana, hauled Torneio on board, and rowed him ashore. That was after 1 a.m. Torneio did not say much, but his relief at getting off the wreck was evident, "I am very happy to be ashore," he said. Asked why he did not leave the Urana with the rest, of the crew, he said that, the ship's life-boat swung away too far for him to jump for it. The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) Wed 1 Sep 1937

Each member of the surf-boat crew of the surfboat was awarded the meritorious award of the Surf Life- saving Association in bronze, and a letter of congratulation was forwarded to their club. The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) Wednesday 6 October 1937

URANA CREW ON WAY HOME – VESSEL BREAKING UP

The members of the crew of the ill-fated coastal steamer Urana, which was wrecked on the rocks at Old Bar, near the mouth of the Manning River, on Tuesday night, will arrive in Sydney this morning by train. They left Taree last night aboard the Kempsey mail. The men are said to be little the worse for their experience.

The Urana, the back of which is broken, is gradually disappearing under the water. At nightfall last night only the funnel and masts of the vessel could be seen. It is believed that the ship is resting on sand and is being firmly wedged into it by the seas which are continually breaking over her. During the day a quantity of wreckage and articles of furniture from the ship were washed ashore.

The crew included:— Captain, John Broder, chief officer, William A. Butcher: chief engineer. Arthur Lodder; second engineer, Hugh McCrindle; bo'sun, John le Patourel; A.Bs., James Mainland, John Mclnnes, John Torneio (who was rescued by the surf life savers) and Anders Petersen; donkeyman, Joseph Heron; firemen, Edward Glur, Harry Martin and John Boatwright; cook and steward. Henry Thomas:, assistant steward, William Milson; and two others. The Labor Daily (Sydney, NSW : 1924 - 1938) Thu 2 Sep 1937

SHIP NOT WORTH SALVAGE – WRECK OF THE URANA

SYDNEY, Wednesday. - It is regarded as unlikely that it will be worthwhile undertaking salvage of the North Coast S.N. Co.'s steamer Urana, which was wrecked on a sunken reef at Old Bar (Manning River) on Tuesday night. Captain Gibson, a marine surveyor, left for Taree to-night to investigate the position on behalf of the underwriters. His report will be the deciding factor.

The secretary of the company (Mr. Sturrock) said to-night that the Urana's wireless calls before she broke up had been answered by the steamer Tyalgum, which had stood in as close as possible, but, had been unable to give any assistance.

The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Thu 2 Sep 1937

SOLD TO ERNEST WRIGHT

Wrecked Vessel Sold

SYDNEY. Wednesday [8th September].

The North Coast steamer, Urana, which was wrecked at Old Bar last week, was to-day sold at auction for £135 to a representative of Ernest Wright, a shipbuilder, of Tuncurry. Northern Star (Lismore, NSW : 1876 - 1954) Thursday 9 September 1937

THE URANA WRECK - COURT BLAMES CAPTAIN

Captain John Charles Broder, master of the steamer Urana, which went aground and later became a wreck at Old Bar, Manning River, on August 31st, was this week blamed by the Court of Marine Inquiry for the happening and the President, Judge Markell, said Broder would be called upon to show cause why his certificate should not be dealt with.

The court found that the grounding was due to Captain Broder not steering a proper course, and not taking the precaution of using a lead to verify where he was.

The Secretary of the North Coast Steam Navigation Company, Ltd., owners of the vessel, said the Urana was valued at £25,000, and was covered by insurance. Captain Broder had joined the company 18 years ago, and was still employed by the company.

Giving evidence, Captain Broder said that when about seven miles past Cape Hawke he could not see land owing to the haze. He knew the Urana was close to land, but he did not take soundings, as he had no anxiety, and had steered the same course many times in the Urana. Later he fancied he heard breakers on the port bow, and he ordered the vessel hard a-starboard but the ship struck. Macleay Argus (Kempsey, NSW - Fri 15 Oct 1937

Acknowledgements: The assistance of Mori Flapan (Mori Flapan boatregister) by providing access to his extensive database is greatly appreciated.

Image Source: Australian National Maritime Museum

Image Enhancement: Philip Pope

All Images in this photostream are Copyright - Great Lakes Manning River Shipping and/or their individual owners as may be stated above and may not be downloaded, reproduced, or used in any way without prior written approval.

GREAT LAKES MANNING RIVER SHIPPING, NSW - Flickr Group --> Alphabetical Boat Index --> Boat builders Index --> Tags List

1970 Ford Capri I RS by Georg Sander

1

The first Ford Capri to bear that precise name was introduced in January 1969 at the Brussels Motor Show, with sales starting the following month. The intention was to reproduce in Europe the success Ford had had with the North American Ford Mustang; to produce a European pony car. It was mechanically based on the Cortina and built in Europe at the Dagenham and Halewood plants in the United Kingdom, the Genk plant in Belgium, and the Saarlouis and Cologne plants in Germany. The car was named Colt during development stage, but Ford were unable to use the name, as it was trademarked by Mitsubishi.

(Wikipedia)

- - -

Der Capri wurde im Januar 1969 auf dem Brüsseler Autosalon offiziell präsentiert, der Verkauf begann im Februar. Mit dem Capri wollte Ford den Erfolg, den das Unternehmen mit dem Ford Mustang in den USA erzielt hatte, in Europa wiederholen und eine Art europäisches „Pony Car“ anbieten. Das Fahrwerk wurde vom englischen Ford Cortina übernommen, die Motoren zum Teil vom deutschen Ford Taunus. Hergestellt wurde er in den britischen Werken Dagenham und Halewood, im belgischen Genk und in den deutschen Ford-Fabriken Saarlouis und Köln. Der Entwicklungsname des Capri lautete Colt; da der Name aber rechtlich von Mitsubishi geschützt war, konnte Ford ihn für sein Serienmodell nicht verwenden.

(Wikipedia)

Valentine IX by Jukka O. Kauppinen

2

Tank Infantry Mark III, Valentine IX (E2000.577)

The precise identity of this tank is not clear, all identification marks having been removed many years ago. It stood outside the Army Base at Long Kesh in Northern Ireland for many years, subsequently moving to the Maze Prison and Lisanelly Camp, Omagh.

It was subsequently acquired by Vickers Defence Systems and restored to running order in Newcastle using the engine from our Valentine Archer (E1969.43). In due course it was offered to the Tank Museum on loan and ultimately, in March 2002 was gifted to the Museum.

The Valentine Mark IX was upgunned to fit a 57mm (six-pounder) gun into the turret although this did not leave enough room for a co-axial machine gun and in any case, with just a two-man turret crew the tank was very difficult to fight.

Our tank carried the number T123358 on the turret which is correct for the type but not necessarily for this actual vehicle. Mark IX Valentines saw service in North Africa and some may have been suppplied to Russia but by 1943 the Valentine had been replaced in front line service by more modern vehicles and was either being relegated to secondary roles or supplied to other countries such as Portugal.

The Valentine development started without a specification from the War Office (hence the absence of an army designation), as a private design by Sir John Carden, and was submitted on February, 10, 1938, to the authorities. By then, the Matilda II had been chosen for production, but the Valentine was something different.

Vickers engineers basically tried to enhance their A10 Cruiser tank design, with a dramatic increase in protection (up to 60 mm/2.36 in). This choice allowed the use most components and parts of the already produced Cruiser I and II, therefore creating an efficient and cheap solution to the need of new infantry tank models. By then, the Matilda II was found to be far costlier than the Matilda I, and not suitable for mass-production. Comparatively, the Valentine seemed a good compromise. The name itself still is a mystery. It could have originated either from Sir John Carden’s middle name, or the date of its first submission (St. Valentine day), or a composed Vickers factory codename, though most historians agree that Valentine was just a simple codename during development.

The Mark I set the tone for the entire series of eleven main variants, with many sub-variants, and a staggering total of 8300 units. The main armament and turret design, as well as the engine and protection, were continuously improved while keeping roughly the same general appearance until 1945. The Mk.I was recognizable by its original two-man turret and 2-pdr (40 mm/1.575 in) gun. From the start, a coaxial Besa machine-gun constitued the secondary armament. The crew consisted of only three men due to the cramped interior, and the commander was also busy as gun loader, machine-gunner and radio operator. The production was rushed to such point that many problems were later detected and fixed with the next Mk.II. The main engine was the AEG A189 petrol delivering only 135 hp, and the hull was riveted. 350 were delivered in all, most seeing action in Libya, while others stayed at home for training.

Tankfest by World of Tanks - 24.-25.6.2016

The Tank Museum - Bovington, UK

Worlds biggest and best live display of historic armour, living history, and much more at the Home of the Tank - The Tank Museum, Bovington, United Kingdom.

More from me:

www.flickr.com/photos/jukkaokauppinen

Tankfest videos:

www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIGRHBJyGQb3PpXwFlOKve2OUJ...

My Imgur galleries:

grendelb.imgur.com/

Flower from the back... by Monitor Lizard

24 19

At the precise second of writing this, this is the 1,761,320th flower photo posted on flickr. I had been hoping for a special surprise prize for the 2 million-th flower photo ! Keep on shooting ... :-)

Reclining Devil's Embrace, Canaanite "Dagon", South of Block Island, Rhode Island, precise agricultural terracing by Ed Ziomek

2 1

The Reclining Devil's Embrace, and intentional obscuring.

This image shows ancient habitats, the center of which is 116 miles at 170 degrees from Block Island. The mass of lines in the center is a 25-by-11 mile long artistic compilation showing two figures embracing, surrounding multiple city-center type habitats. These figures are reclining-while-embracing, at 7500 feet down on the upward slope of the Atlantic floor, towards the Continental Shelf. Plausibly these figures could be viewed from below looking up, or on the Continental Shelf, looking down.

At first, I did not understand the confusion of lines and overlaps, which are many, indicating many successive overlays of King figures, Queen figures, and city-center architected structures.

I also see the remarkable agricultural terrracing that runs for 1200 miles parallel to the Continental Shelf in the obvious antiquities attempt to stem mud-sediment and water run-off in this severely sloping area. The actual slope is 8500 feet deep on the bottom-southern side of the figure, and 7200 feet or so on the top side, 11 miles to the North. By the way, this is a archaeology mathematician's dream, in that it explicitly shows precise separation distances of 10 to 20,000 years ago. There even seems to be a layer of massive artwork displays, under the terracing.

The full figure is 275 square miles or so.

There is an even bigger story here, in that this same image, and throughout the Continental shelf area, there is valid, understandable, deliberate "obscuring" of the man-made features of antiquity.

These human habitat indicators have been well known, even published by all governments and academics for decades, if not hundreds of years. -National Geographic, Columbia University, University of Hawaii, Oregon, South Florida, to name a few.

I thank them for leaving the reclining devil figure unmolested, probably because it is over a mile and a half deep, and it is so confusing.

On the mythology side, one of the oldest figures and legends is the "Devil's Embrace", and this is the zoomorphic form, I believe, with a Goat head, or a hairy-beaked monster freak.

Later, this animal figure was humanized with various figures called "Devil", Pan, Dionysius, Green Man, plausibly even the "snake" of the "Garden of Eden", who were variously characterized as "the Rising Sun", the "insatiable lover", the hedonistic orgiastic crazed humanoid, the "Anti-Christ", etc. etc.

I feel enormously blessed to find this image, to give some theoretical meaning to its symbolism, and to hopefully inspire others in this amazing historical field, 99.999% undiscovered.

Thanks again to Google Earth, Photoshop, NOAA, NGDC, and Indiana University for all their satellite imaging archives open to the public.

Recent Notes: I am leaning towards a new theory on the precise agricultural terracing, which they are. I am now thinking and theorizing that they may be "headstones" of overlapping King and Queen portraits. This may have been the burial grounds of Royalty, for tens of thousands of years before they were overwhelmed with the rising waters.

Captain Samuel Sharpe Pocklington with His Wife, Pleasance, and possibly His Sister, Frances by Alec Frazier

Captain Samuel Sharpe Pocklington with His Wife, Pleasance, and possibly His Sister, Frances

West Building, Main Floor—Gallery 61

•Date: 1769

•Medium: Oil on Canvas

•Dimensions:

oOverall: 100.2 × 126.6 cm (39 7/16 × 49 13/16 in.)

oFramed: 120.7 × 146.4 × 7.6 cm (47½ × 57⅝ × 3 in.)

•Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Charles S. Carstairs in memory of her husband, Charles Stewart Carstairs

•Accession Number: 1952.9.4

•Artists/Makers:

oArtist: George Stubbs, British, 1724-1806

Overview

Captain Pocklington, who wears the uniform of the Scots Guard, retired from the third regiment in 1769, the same year that Stubbs painted this group portrait. Seated on the bench is the captain’s wife, Pleasance, who is probably wearing bridal clothes. The woman standing behind Pleasance is presumably Pocklington’s sister, Frances.

Stubbs’ fame is based on his precise and naturalistic depictions of animals, primarily horses, even in paintings such as this that are ostensibly about human matters. Stubbs lived in a world fascinated with scientific inquiry; he himself actually performed dissections of animals to fully understand their anatomy.

Stubbs’ interest in the structure and complexity of living things led him to adopt a working style in which he first painted the individual figures and then completed the background and secondary details. The subjects are arranged in a friezelike pattern against the darker, more muted shades of the massive tree and fanciful landscape. Stubbs was not invited to exhibit at the Royal Academy because he had been labeled as a horse painter, and his popularity sank even lower during the romantic era. Now in an age that looks back on pioneers such as Stubbs with fascination and respect, his stature as an artist has greatly increased.

Inscription

•Lower Right: Geo: Stubbs / pinxit 1769

Provenance

Painted for Samuel Sharpe Pocklington [d. 1781], Chelsworth Hall, Suffolk; by descent through his elder son, Colonel Sir Robert Pocklington, who married Catherine Blagrave, to John Blagrave, Calcot Park, Berkshire; (sale, Messrs. Foster, London, 28 June 1911, no. 102); purchased by Francis Howard for (M. Knoedler & Co., New York, London, and Paris); purchased by 1913 by Charles Stewart Carstairs [1865-1928], London; by inheritance to his wife, Mrs. Charles S. Carstairs [née Elizabeth Stebbins, d. 1949], London;[1] bequest 1952 to NGA.

[1] According to a letter (copy in NGA curatorial files) from Mrs. Carstairs to David Finley, 15 November 1947, the painting never left England, and always hung in the Carstairs house in London. Charles S. Carstairs was the director of Knoedler’s London branch. Mrs. Carstairs’ maiden name is provided in a letter of 13 February 1995 from Dr. Lorne Campbell, of the National Gallery, London, in NGA curatorial files.

Associated Names

•Blagrave, Catherine Frances

•Blagrave, John

•Carstairs, Charles S., Mrs.

•Carstairs, Charles Stewart

•Foster, Messrs.

•Howard, F.

•Knoedler & Company, M.

•Pocklington, Robert, Colonel Sir

•Pocklington, Samuel Sharpe

Exhibition History

•1927—Meisterwerke englischer Malerei aus drei Jahrhunderten, Secession, Vienna, 1927, no. 54, repro.

•1930—English Conversation Pieces, Sir Philip Sassoon’s, 45 Park Lane, London, 1930, no. 47 (souvenir, 49, repro.).

•1934—British Art, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1934, no. 395 (commemorative catalogue, no. 165, repro.).

•1936—Loan to display with the permanent collection, Tate Gallery, London, 1936-1947.

•1984—George Stubbs 1724-1806, Tate Gallery, London; Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, 1984-1985, no. 107, color repro., color detail, (catalogue by Judy Egerton).

•2004—Stubbs & The Horse, Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth; The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; The National Gallery, London, 2004-2005, no. 58, fig. 61.

Technical Summary

The medium-weight canvas is plain woven; it has been lined, but the tacking margins still survive intact. The lining and nonoriginal stretcher may be over one hundred years old; fabrics were mounted on the new stretcher slightly off center, so that original paint extends slightly onto the top edge of the stretcher and about half an inch of overpainted ground appears along the bottom edge. The ground is grayish white, of moderate thickness. The painting is executed smoothly, fluidly, and fairly thickly, with low impasto. Visible to the naked eye is an old, horizontal, retouched tear about 10 cm. long extending in from the right edge slightly above the rocks. The overall craquelure was inpainted in 1984; the abrasion in the horse’s rump and in the dark foliage above the horse’s tail was glazed over at the same time; although the original and lining fabrics are somewhat fragile, the restoration of 1984 did not include relining. The synthetic varnish has not discolored.

Bibliography

•1960—Cooke, Hereward Lester. British Painting in the National Gallery of Art. Washington, D.C., 1960 (Booklet Number Eight in Ten Schools of Painting in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.): 24, color repro., as Colonel Pocklington with His Sisters.

•1962—Cairns, Huntington, and John Walker, eds. Treasures from the National Gallery of Art. New York, 1962: 126, color repro., as Colonel Pocklington with His Sisters.

•1963—Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. New York, 1963 (reprinted 1964 in French, German, and Spanish): 319, repro., as Colonel Pocklington with His Sisters.

•1965—Summary Catalogue of European Paintings and Sculpture. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 126, as Colonel Pocklington with His Sisters.

•1966—Cairns, Huntington, and John Walker, eds. A Pageant of Painting from the National Gallery of Art. 2 vols. New York, 1966: 2:356, color repro., as Colonel Pocklington and His Sisters.

•1968—European Paintings and Sculpture, Illustrations. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1968: 112, repro., as Colonel Pocklington with His Sisters.

•1971—Praz, Mario. Conversation Pieces. London, 1971: 134, color cover and color fig. 95.

•1971—Taylor, Basil. Stubbs. London, 1971: 37-38, pls. 57-59.

•1975—European Paintings: An Illustrated Summary Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1975: 334, repro., as Colonel Pocklington with His Sisters.

•1975—Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. New York, 1975: no. 529, color repro.

•1979—Watson, Ross. The National Gallery of Art, Washington. New York, 1979: 92, pl. 79.

•1984—Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Rev. ed. New York, 1984: 368, no. 516, color repro., as Colonel Pocklington and His Sisters.

•1985—European Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985: 384, repro.

•1992—Hayes, John. British Paintings of the Sixteenth through Nineteenth Centuries. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 1992: 259-261, color repro. 260.

•1992—National Gallery of Art, Washington. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 144, repro.

•2004—Hand, John Oliver. National Gallery of Art: Master Paintings from the Collection. Washington and New York, 2004: 282-283, no. 230, color repro.

From British Paintings of the Sixteenth through Nineteenth Centuries:

1952.9.4 (1047)

Captain Samuel Sharpe Pocklington with His Wife, Pleasance, and His Sister (?), Frances

•1769

•Oil on Canvas, 100.2 × 126.6 (39½ × 49⅞)

•Gift of Mrs. Charles S. Carstairs in memory of her husband, Charles Stewart Carstairs

Inscriptions

•Signed and Dated at Lower Right: Geo: Stubbs/pinxit 1769

Technical Notes

The medium-weight canvas is plain woven; it has been lined, but the tacking margins still survive intact. The lining and nonoriginal stretcher may be over one hundred years old; fabrics were mounted on the new stretcher slightly off center, so that original paint extends slightly onto the top edge of the stretcher and about half an inch of overpainted ground appears along the bottom edge. The ground is grayish white, of moderate thickness. The painting is executed smoothly, fluidly, and fairly thickly, with low impasto. Visible to the naked eye is an old, horizontal, retouched tear about 10 cm. long extending in from the right edge slightly above the rocks. The overall craquelure was inpainted in 1984; the abrasion in the horse’s rump and in the dark foliage above the horse’s tail was glazed over at the same time; although the original and lining fabrics are somewhat fragile, the restoration of 1984 did not include relining. The synthetic varnish has not discolored.

Provenance

Painted for Samuel Sharpe Pocklington [d. 1781], Chelsworth Hall, Suffolk; by descent through his elder son, Colonel Sir Robert Pocklington, who married Catherine Blagrave, to John Blagrave, Calcot Park, Berkshire (sale, Messrs. Foster, London, 28 June 1911, no. 102), bought by (Francis Howard for M. Knoedler & Co.), New York, from whom it was purchased by 1913 by Charles Stewart Carstairs [d. 1928], Lockport, New York; passed to Mrs. Charles S. Carstairs [d. 1949], New York.

Exhibitions:

Meisterwerke Englischer Malerei aus drei Jahrhunderten, Secession, Vienna, 1927, no. 54, repro. English Conversation Pieces, Sir Philip Sassoon’s, 45 Park Lane, London, 1930, no. 47 (illustrated souvenir, repro. 49). British Art, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1934, no. 395 (commemorative catalogue, no. 165, repro.). Long-term loan, Tate Gallery, London, 1936-1947. George Stubbs 1724-1806, Tate Gallery, London; Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, 1984-1985, no. 107, color repro., color detail.

The traditional identification of the sitters as Colonel Pocklington and his sisters, first recorded in the catalogue of the Blagrave sale in 1911, has recently been corrected by Egerton.1 The principal sitters are Captain Samuel Sharpe, who assumed the name and arms of Pocklington on his marriage in 1769, and his wife, Pleasance Pykarell, who had changed her name to Pocklington as a condition of inheriting the manor of Chelsworth, Suffolk, from her cousin, Robert Pocklington. The identity of the lady on the left has not been established; Egerton has suggested that she may be Samuel’s unmarried sister, Frances.

The picture is a marriage portrait. Pleasance is dressed in her white wedding gown and is offering a posy of flowers to her husband’s horse. Samuel, standing elegantly cross legged, is wearing the uniform of the Third Foot (later the Scots) Guards, in which he had served since 1760 and from which he seems to have resigned shortly after his marriage.

As so often with Stubbs, the figures and horse are contained within a gentle, rhythmical, horizontal design, equally characteristically echoed and continued in a further plane by the dark trees that fill the picture surface—what Praz calls a “screen of foliage.”2 The background is generalized and softly handled. The whole composition has an air of artificiality, underlined by Pleasance’s pose; the Melbourne and Milbanke Families3 in the National Gallery, London, of the same period, 1769 to 1770, with its very similar background, is even more artificial in its arrangement. Taylor has described the work as “conceived, perhaps with a deliberate professional intention, in the spirit of” Reynolds’ informal portrait group of Henry Fane and his guardians (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) of three years earlier, Stubbs perhaps “hoping for opportunities to work on the larger scale expected from the leading portraitists of the Royal Academy.”4

Notes

1.Egerton 1984, no. 107.

2.Praz1971,134.

3.Taylor 1971, pl. 55.

4.Taylor 1971, 38 ; the Reynolds is reproduced in Ellis K. Waterhouse, Reynolds (London, 1941), pl. 117.

References

•1971—Praz, Mario. Conversation Pieces. London, 1971:134, color cover and color fig. 95.

•1971—Taylor 1971: 37-38, pls. 57-59.

•1976—Walker 1976: no. 529, color repro.

•1984—Egerton 1984: no. 107, color repro., color detail.

Precise Measurement by Ray Conrado

trying to figure out how to put the next can on without knocking all the other ones down....

Nissan GTR on 21" Precise by COR Wheels

4

21x10

21x11.5

COR Classic Series: Precise

Finished in Anodized Grey Centers and Polished Step Lips

[2204] Obscure Wainscot (Leucania obsoleta) by Ben Sale

Field Trip - Roughdown Common - 13/06/17

I had an eventful trip to Roughdown Common whereby we planned to run as many traps as possible, conditions were absolutely perfect, warm and humid with some cloud cover.

We started the evening setting the first trap up in the field where there were three Cattle, Belted Galloways to be precise.

They greeted us and then seemed to leave us alone for a bit after cleaning the cars with their tongues and having a good old itch on Steve's rear bumper.

We left the field to set up a few more traps and then returned back to the car for more equipment, to our agony the trap had been thoroughly inspected by the cattle and there was slobber all over the trap and they did a mighty fine job of smashing the bulb but it could have been A LOT worse as the fragile plastic collar (the second most important part of the trap after the bulb) was still intact! How on earth it escaped being trodden on I do not know.

Luckily Ian said he would nip back home and grab his spare bulb and we moved the trap through the gate and shut the gate....but they had done their 'investigating' and moved off for the rest of the night down the bottom of the field.

After setting all the traps were set up, the battery operated one was low on juice..another minor set-back as we would only get possibly 2 hours life out of the tracer lithium ion battery.

Things come in three's and of course nothing could be worse than a generator stopping, yep that's what happened...trying to get it started again flooded the spark plug and luckily I could use the spare that I had brought with me.

Onto the moths and boy were we in for a night! The species just kept coming and coming and at one stage I couldn't keep typing the list.

There are a few to check but best species so far were singles of Obscure Wainscot, Anania perlucidalis, Anarsia innoxiella and two good plume species (one to be checked) Merrifieldia leucodactyla/baliodactylus and Gillmeria pallidactyla.

Thanks to Roger, Steve and Ian for helping out until the small hours, another successful trip with at least 160 species seen!

Catch Report - 13/06/17 - Roughdown Common - West Herts - 7 traps in total - 2x 125w MV Robinson Trap 1x 160w MBT Robinson Trap 1x 40w Actinic + 15w LED Trap 1x 80w Actinic Trap 2x 20w Wemlite Actinic Trap 1x 15w Actinic Portable Heath Trap

85 Macros & 75 Micros

160 species

Numbers approximate

Macro Moths

Alder Moth 2

Beautiful Hook-tip 6

Blue bordered Carpet 1

Brimstone 4

Broken-barred Carpet 2

Brown Rustic 5

Brown Scallop 2

Buff Ermine 1

Buff-tip 1

Cinnabar 1

Clay 1

Clouded Border 4

Clouded Brindle 1

Clouded Silver 8

Common Carpet 2

Common Marbled Carpet 4

Common Pug 1

Common Swift 3

Common White Wave 2

Coronet 12

Dark Arches 4

Double Square-spot 2

Double-striped Pug 1

Elephant Hawk-moth 2

Fern 3

Figure of Eighty 2

Flame 3

Flame Shoulder 2

Freyer's Pug 1

Garden Carpet 1

Ghost Moth 1

Green Carpet 5

Green Pug 5

Green Silver-lines 1

Grey Pug 5

Haworth's Pug 1

Heart & Club 1

Heart & Dart 10+

Ingrailed Clay 10

July Highflyer 1

Knot Grass 1

Large Nutmeg 4

Large Yellow Underwing 2

Lesser Yellow Underwing 1

Light Arches 1

Light Emerald 5

Lime-speck Pug 2

Maiden's Blush 1

Maple Prominent 2

Marbled White-spot 3

Middle-barred Minor 3

Miller 1

Mottled Beauty 5

Mottled Pug 1

Mottled Rustic 5

Obscure Wainscot 1

Orange Footman 1

Pale Prominent 1

Peppered Moth 2

Poplar Grey 1

Privet Hawk-moth 1

Purple Bar 2

Riband Wave 2

Rustic Shoulder-knot 2

Scorched Wing 2

Setaceous Hebrew Character 2

Shoulder-striped Wainscot 1

Shuttle-shaped Dart 2

Silver-ground Carpet 2

Small Angle Shades 1

Small Dusty Wave 1

Small Elephant Hawk-moth 1

Small Fan-foot 2

small Square-spot 1

Small Yellow Wave 1

Snout 2

Straw Dot 10

Swallow Prominent 1

Sycamore 2

Tawny Marbled Minor 2

Treble Lines 3

Turnip Moth 1

Uncertain 3

White Pinion-spotted 1

Wormwood Pug 1

Micro Moths

Agapeta hamana 4

Agapeta zoegana 10

Agonopterix arenella 2

Agonopterix purpurea 1

Aleimma loeflingiana 10

Anania hortulata 3

Anania perlucidalis 1

Anarsia innoxiella 1

Anthophila fabriciana 1

Aphomia sociella 1

Archips podana 2

Archips xylosteana 3

Argyresthia conjugella 2

Argyresthia curvella 2

Blastobasis lacticolella 3

Blastodacna hellerella 1

Bryotropha terrella 5

Caloptilia populetorum 1

Caloptilia robustella alchimiella 2

Caloptilia syringella 1

Celypha lacunana 15

Celypha striana 5

Chrysoteuchia culmella 5

Clepsis consimilana 5

Cnephasia sp 10

Cochylimorpha straminea 5

Cochylis dubitana 2

Cochylis molliculana 1

Crambus lathoniellus 5

Cydia fagiglandana 2

Dichrorampha sp 4

Ditula angustiorana 2

Emmetia marginea 1

Endothenia gentianaeana marginea 2

Epinotia bilunana 2

Epiphyas postvittana 1

Eucosma cana 10

Eudonia lacustrata 5

Eudonia pallida 3

Eulamprotes unicolorella 5

Eupoecilia angustana 15

Gillmeria pallidactyla 1

Grapholita funebrana 1

Gypsonoma sociana 1

Hedya nubiferana 5

Hedya pruniana 5

Homoeosoma sinuella 2

Merrifieldia leucodactyla or baliodactylus 1

Metzneria metzneriella 10+

Mompha ochraceella 1

Mompha subbistrigella 3

Nemophora degeerella 1

Nephopterix angustana 2

Notocelia trimaculana 15+

Notocelia uddmanniana 2

Pammene albuginana 1

Pandemis cerasana 10+

Pandemis cinnamomeana 1

Pandemis heparana 5

Paraswammerdamia albicapitella 1

Parornix sp 1

Phycita roborella 1

Prays fraxinella 2

Pseudargyrotoza conwagana 10+

Pseudoswammerdamia combinella 1

Scoparia ambigualis 5

Scoparia pyralella 10+

Scythropia crataegella 1

Stigmella sp 1

Strophedra weirana 1

Teleiodes luculella 5

Thiotricha subocellea 3

Tinea semifulvella 1

Tortrix viridana 10+

Udea olivalis 3