Shannon Stirnweis (Arizona, New York, New Hampshire Oregon, B. 1931) "Fort Prince of Wales" Signed lower left. Original Oil on Illustration Board painting.

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

This painting was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the Canada 32c Fort Prince of Wales stamp issued June 30, 1983.

The first forts built in the New World by both the French and English were built by fur-traders. One of the most famous of these early forts was Fort Prince of Wales, the most northerly fortress on the North American continent. It was built by the Hudson Bay Comapny and was situated on a sand point which extended out into the bay at the mouth of Churchill River. Within the walls of the Prince of Wales, the cruel and despotic Governor Norton ruled. Also he was Indian, he had completed a nine year course of study in England which equipped him for the governorship. Unfortunately, during his education Norton had grasped many of the vices but few of the virtues of the white man and he also embodied few of the pleasing qualities of his own native people. He dressed like a native but ruled like a European prince. Frightful crimes lay at his door and few residents were sorry when the evil governor died. Apart from the crimes of Governor Norton, Fort Prince of Wales will be remembered as the starting point for Samuel Hearne's exploring expeditions which discovered the Coppermine River and exposed the myth of there being a Northwest water route to Asia from Canada. When Hearne returned from his expeditions, he succeeded Norton to the governorship of Fort Prince of Wales. It was this fine man and brave explorer who was compelled to lower the British flag to French conquerors in 1782. The Fort sustained heavy damage, but today has been restored as a National Historic Park.

Image Size: 19.25 x 16.75 in.
Overall Size: 23 x 20 in.
Unframed.
(B08159)

- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.

- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via wire transfer or cashier’s check, no other forms of payment will be accepted.

- All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.

- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.

- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com

- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through 6 online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.

- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be out bid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.