John Swatsley (American, B. 1937) "Steamboat Washington (1816)" Signed lower left. Original Oil painting on Illustration Board.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This artwork originally appeared on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 25c Steamboat Washington stamp issued March 3, 1989.

When steamboats arrived on the Mississippi, it soon became evident that they would have to evolve to meet the requirements of the river in order to be of any use. What was needed was a steamboat that would draw less water and move on the water instead of through it. The craft would need a wide, shallow hull, with heavy boilers and machinery on top of the hull rather than inside it. Captain Henry Shreve took an important step toward building such a steamboat in 1816 with the Washington. Shreve built a deck over the hull and placed the heavy boilers on this deck, and replaced the bulky, low-pressure engine with a new, high-pressure engine. Shreve also got rid of the heavy condenser that allowed the same water to be used over and over again, seeing no need to conserve water while floating on a whole river of it. Passenger accommodations were put on yet a second deck, above the boilers. The Washington could make the trip from New Orleans to Louisville in twenty-five days, an amazing feat in her time. For all her success, the Washington also had tragedy. An explosion on board during her maiden voyage blew Captain Shreve and most of his crew overboard, killing thirteen people. The captain survived to rebuild his steamboat, and the success of the Washington spurred design development. Soon other steamboats were built using the innovations she had pioneered. If any craft could be called "the mother of western steamboats," it would be Captain Shreve's Washington.

Image Size: 14 x 12 in.
Overall Size: 20.5 x 18 in.
Unframed.
(B11902)

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