Adam's IRISH OLD MASTERS 5th November 2024

112 77 RICHARD PETERSON ATKINSON (1840 -1882) City of New York’ aground on Daunt’s Rock, 1864 Signed and dated Watercolour, 33.5 x 51cm Exhibited: Maritime Paintings of Cork, Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, Cork 2005 € 1,000 - 1,500 The City of New York , one of the most notable liners from the Inman Line, was built by Tod & McGregor of Glasgow and launched on April 12, 1861. Its maiden voyage was on September 11 that same year. Weighing 2,360 tons and measuring 335 feet, it was pow - ered by two horizontal trunk engines. After three years of service, the ship was wrecked on Daunt Rock near Cork Harbour on March 29, 1864. Richard Atkinson’s watercolour shows the ship leaning after several days on the rock, with a small paddle steamer moored nearby. The ship’s topmasts and fittings were removed to lighten it, while other steamers are present, including one on the left with a blue and white red funnel, also listing as passengers watch. The Inman Line had established a Glasgow to New York service 14 years earlier, using faster, more reliable iron steamers with screw propellers. William Inman later partnered with Richardson, Spence & Co., focusing on the Liverpool to Philadelphia route. By 1859, Inman ships stopped at Queens - town (Cobh), following Cunard’s lead. The Inman vessels, like the City of Paris and City of Brussels , set speed records for crossing the Atlantic. In 1875, the Inman Line became a limited company, merging with the In - ternational Company in 1886. Despite flying the red ensign, the company was American-owned through the Pennsylvania Railroad’s American Line. The acquisition of the Red Star Line expanded operations to routes between Liverpool-Philadelphia and Antwerp-New York, managed by Rich - ardson, Spence & Co. The City of New York’s wreck occurred during a surge in Irish emigration. In April 1964, the Cork Examiner noted the heavy demand for passage to New York, reporting that Bligh, the Inman agent in Cork, was overwhelmed with ticket requests, with berths booked a month in advance. Many emigrants re - lied on relatives in New York to secure tickets for them, a trend seen across Irish ports.