Join us for a visit to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard
Not far off the Massachusetts Coast exist centuries old communities of self-reliant spirits surrounded by natural beauty, and living off the bounty of the land and sea. Once home to mostly sailors, whalers and fishermen, today Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard are now also popular vacation spots, with thousands of visitors each summer. We invite you to join us on a visit to enjoy the beauty and history of these iconic islands through the paintings of our artists.
Sergio Roffo — Sunrise Sail at Brant Point, Nantucket
Don Demers — Nantucket Afternoon, c. 1920
Elegance and style have always been a part of the yachting scene. Here the mellow afternoon light falls upon a classic catboat regatta - perhaps Wednesday night club racing - off Brant Point, Nantucket, circa 1920, with the masts of the fishing fleet inside the harbor visible over the dunes. As there was no Helly Hansen or L.L. Bean at the time, yachtsmen and women were dressed in their finery for the event.
John Stobart — Nantucket Whalers, Nantucket Harbor, 1835
John Stobart has specialized in making paintings which re-create what todays harbors looked like in the 19th century. With six books and 21 PBS Television shows to his credit, he is considered one of the modern masters of marine art. In this beautifid painting, Nantucket harbor is bustling with action in the early 1800's. Whaleships are at the dock, one whaleship with flags flying is being towed out, while in the distance a whaleship is under construction on Brant Point, and Brant Point Light is seen as it looked in 1835.
1894 Navigational Chart by George W. Eldridge
Before the days of Radio Direction Finders, LORAN, Radar or GPO, commercial and recreational boaters relied on governmental and privately published paper charts to navigate the tricky waters of the Vineyani and Nantucket Sounds. The premier private charts were published by former seaman, George Eldridge (1812-1900), who started out by taking surveys from his dory. First published in 1865. his Vineyard Sound Chart was so successful it was used by mariners right up until WWII. In 1892, George handed his business over to his son George W. Eldridge, so this large 1894 chart (measuring 32" x 51') bears his name, and shows good reason why these waters are plentiful with both fish and shipwrecks.
Harley Bartlett — Looking East, Vineyard Sound
Vinyeard Sound is the sketch of the Atlantic Ocean which separates the Elizabeth Islands and the southwestern part of Cape Cod from the island of Martha's Vinyard, located affshore from the state of Massachusetts. To the West, it joins Rhode Island Sound, and on its Eastern end it connects to Nantucket Sound. Vinyard Sound holds some of the largest summer flounder in Massachusetts. It is also a place of incredible serenity and beat, as captured in this painting by artist Harley Bartlett.
Sergio Roffo — Cottages Along the Dunes
Martha's Vineyard is an island paradise. Visitors can enjoy the lovely sandy beaches and dunes, romantic sailboats, great hotels, color, gingerbread cottages, old lighthouses and farmers markets. Less crowded than Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard is the place where you will share the beaches with the rich and famous, have a great meal or explore the magical Menemsha Hills for an incredible variety of plant life.
Betsey Rice — Horseshoe Crab — hand-crafted stoneware
Fossil records show that the horseshoe crabs we see on our beaches today do not look very different from the horseshoe crabs that swam around when dinosaurs walked the earth! These unique and fascinating creatures my be in trouble — populations are much lower than they were 30 years ago, although recently efforts have been made, through a tagging program, to document how large horseshoe crab populations actually are. People that grew up on Nantucket can remember a time when the beaches were covered with horseshoe crabs in the spring! Horseshoe crabs are in high demand as bait for conch and eel fisheries and for use in the medical industry as their blood is surprisingly similar to the blood of humans.
Roy Cross — Old Nantucket in the early 1840's, Ship ALPHA
In this evocative re-creation of the whaling capital of the world, Nantucket Harbor as it appeared in 1049 The whaleship Alpha is seen with all sails off while another whaleship is being towed out to begin to leave the port for a two to three year trip to the arctic in search of whales to render into whale oil. Brant Point Light can be seen in the background to the right and to the left a whaleship is under construction. All this activity is taking place 30 miles from the mainland in a world unto itself.
Roy Cross — Whaler IMPROVEMENT Leaving Nantucket
This classic Marine painting by Englishmen Roy Cross shows the Whaleship 'Improvement' having been towed out of Nantucket Harbor sailing for points far and East. Brant Point Light can be seen in the distance being left behind along with sweethearts, children and life on the island.
Harley Bartlett — The Black Dog, Vineyard Haven
The Black Dog Restaurant and Tavern on Martha's Vineyard was founded in 1971 by Captain Robert Douglas as Vineyard Haven's first year-round restaurant, featuring Douglas' black labrador retriever as its logo. The Black Dog T-shirts became well known during the 1990's as photographs of celebrities wearing the shirts began appearing in national publications. A photograph of then-president Bill Clinton jogging while wearing one was distributed by the wire services. Today no visit to Martha's Vineyard is complete unless you come home with a Black Dog T-shirt!
