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Knight, Elias Davis
View related Fitz Henry Lane catalog entries (1) »
Elias Davis Knight was the first officer of the Packet Ship "Boston" at the time of the disaster. He made the sketch on which Lane's painting was based, and gave the painting to Joseph L. Stevens, Jr. after Lane's death. (1)
(1) Sarah Dunlap and Stephanie Buck, Fitz Henry Lane: Family and Friends (Gloucester, MA: Church & Mason Publishing; in association with the Cape Ann Historical Museum, 2007), 80; 132.
Related tables: "Boston" (Packet Ship) »
Letter regarding the burning of the packet ship "Boston"
Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester, Mass.
"Dear Sir, Agreeable to your request that I would write something to attach to the picture in your possession of the Burning of the Packet Ship Boston in 1830, your object I suppose more fully to establish the fact that it is really one of the early productions of our fellow townsman and afterward most distinguished artist Fitz H. Lane.
The picture was drawn the same year by Mr. Lane from a sketch I made soon after the disaster aided by one of the passengers S.S. Osgood Esq. afterward a distinguished portrait painter. Mr. Lane had made not reputation of course at this time as an artist. And probably had received no instruction. It afforded me great pleasure to present this picture to you who was so devoted to him, knowing full well tho nothing very great of itself would be highly appreciative [...] as the early work of that [...] particular friend."
