Posner Maritime Art Collection
“Westward Ho”
by A. Clive Edwards
Photo-engraving
This image of the American Clipper Ship Westward Ho is a vintage heliogravure print titled “Westward Ho.” Built at East Boston In 1852, by Donald McKay,” after an original painting by A. Clive Edwards. It was printed by Foster Brothers of Boston about 1924. A. Clive Edwards is likely the husband of Mrs. A. Clive Edwards, a painting restorer. The Smithsonian lists a painting by her: a copy of an Osgood painting of Nathanial Hawthorne of Salem. But whether she was the painter “A. Clive Edwards” is yet to be determined. Most of A. Clive Edwards’ paintings have been attributed to her, but we think this probably incorrect. She did, for example, sign the Hawthorne painting as “Mrs. A. Clive Edwards.”
The Westward Ho was a very famous American Clipper Ship, built for Sampson and Tappan by the very famous builder Donald McKay of Boston. She was an extreme clipper of very narrow beam. A full length indian warrior was carved for her figurehead. In 1857, she was sold to Don Juan de Ugarte of Lima, Peru, for the “Coolie” trade. Although the flag changed to Peru, she retained her name. She was quite fast but only lasted 12 years, burning at Callao, Peru on February 27th, 1864.
Another print similar to this one was done of the Flying Cloud, a copy of which is in the collection of the San Francisco Maritime Museum. The Smithsonian also lists an “A. Clive Edwards” as the painter of the watercolor of the Flying Cloud. In the July 1922 issue of Magazine Antiques, A. Clive Edwards is listed of 133 Highland Avenue, Salem, MA offering paintings of ships, as well as 18th Century whaling scene prints, for sale, in a classified advertisement.
The Steamship Historical Society of America is dedicated to the history and preservation of powered vessels; however, it is the first to acknowledge that sailing vessels are the ancestors of powered vessels and therefore, sailing vessels are important to the history of the powered vessel. For this reason it is appropriate for paintings of sailing ships to be depicted in this Museum.