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Vindex owned by Robert Center
Named collection: Arthur H. Clark Collection
Object type: painting
Maker: unknown
Place made: unknown
Date made: date unknown
Materials: oil; pigment; cardboard
Measurements: 14 3/4 in x 8 3/4 in
Nomenclature: iron cutters; yachting
Classification: ships
An original oil painting on cardboard of the port-side view of the cutter, 'Vindex,' in sailing in rough waters. A larger ship and other cutters are in the distance also tilting from the rough waves. The sky is dark and cloudy except for two oval openings in the clouds that reveal a light blue sky. The 'Vindex' was the first iron yacht and the first cutter ever built in the United States. She was designed by A. Cary Smith and built in 1871 in Chester, Pennsylvania for Robert Center. The yacht embodied new theories in naval construction and it around unusual interest among yacht owners and experts. Although she was not famous for her speed and was not a racer, she was considered an excellent vessel for cruising, particularly, windward strong weather.
CC-F-0071