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Maritime History From Across The Centuries !

21/10/2026

This historic photograph shows the fishing vessel New England heavily encased in ice off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, in 1916.

Photographed by Leonard Frank, the image captures crew members posing on the frozen deck amid severe winter freezing conditions.
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20/10/2026

Meteoric Shower as Seen off Cape Florida, circa 1891. Painted by Attributed to John C. Adams.

This remarkable nineteenth-century engraving depicts the Leonid meteor storm of 12 November 1799, witnessed off the coast of Florida by American surveyor and astronomer Andrew Ellicott. Awakened at around 3 a.m., Ellicott observed an extraordinary spectacle as countless shooting stars streaked across the heavens, resembling fireworks. The display was so intense that he feared some might strike his vessel. The meteors continued until daylight, and the phenomenon was reported across the West Indies and parts of North America.

The storm occurred as Earth passed through a dense trail of debris left by Comet Tempel–Tuttle, which produces the annual Leonid meteor shower. Particularly spectacular Leonid storms occur roughly every 33 years. The engraving captures the extraordinary sight above the dark Atlantic, with a sailing ship dwarfed beneath the illuminated sky.

Historical note: Although commonly dated 1891 and attributed to John C. Adams, the illustration also appears in an 1869 edition of "The Midnight Sky". Its artist is not definitively established.
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19/10/2026

Cromartyshire at Middelburg, Netherlands (1906).

An early 20th century photograph showing the iron hulled sailing cargo ship Cromartyshire moored alongside a cobbled quay in Middelburg, Netherlands. The vessel’s towering masts and intricate rigging dominate the scene, while pedestrians, historic buildings and a distant church tower offer a glimpse of everyday life in the Dutch port in early 1906.
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29/09/2026

The Battle of Lepanto. Painted by Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574).

Commissioned by Pope Pius V for the Vatican’s Sala Regia, Vasari’s monumental fresco commemorates the Holy League’s decisive victory over the Ottoman fleet at the Battle of Lepanto on 7 October 1571. The vast naval engagement is paired with allegorical figures representing the Christian powers of Spain, Venice and the Papacy.
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20/09/2026

This remarkable vintage photograph shows a giant quarter scale model of H.M.S. Victory, built in Gosport in the 1930s. Operated by fifteen sailors concealed within the hull, with only the helmsman visible on deck, the extraordinary replica sailed around Portsmouth Harbour before being destroyed during a German air raid in the Second World War.
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09/09/2026

French Ironclad Atalante, 1873.

A striking photograph of the French ironclad corvette Atalante in Fitzroy Dock, Sydney Harbour, in 1873. The image captures the imposing warship undergoing dock work during the early age of steam-powered ironclad naval warfare.
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03/09/2026

Three First Rate Ships of the Line Entering Portsmouth Harbour. Painted by William Joy (1803–1865) & John Cantiloe Joy (1805–1859).

This delicate watercolour by British maritime artists William Joy (1803–1865) and John Cantiloe Joy (1805–1859) depicts three imposing ships of the line entering Portsmouth Harbour. Finely rendered sails and rigging, luminous coastal light and vivid turquoise waters capture the grandeur of Britain’s naval fleet and the elegance of nineteenth-century maritime life.
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29/08/2026

The Cruiser "Askold" at Qingdao, circa 1904.

The Russian protected cruiser Askold is shown at Qingdao following the Battle of the Yellow Sea, fought on 28 July (10 August) 1904 during the Russo-Japanese War. The photograph records the damage sustained during the engagement, with battered plating and sections of the ship’s superstructure visibly torn apart.

The battle began when the Russian Pacific Squadron attempted to break out of the Japanese blockade of Port Arthur and reach Vladivostok. Intercepted by Admiral Tōgō’s fleet in the Yellow Sea, the Russians were eventually scattered after several hours of heavy gunfire. Askold, distinguished by her five funnels, managed to break through the Japanese line but was too badly damaged to continue to Vladivostok. She instead reached the neutral German-controlled port of Qingdao, where she was interned for the remainder of the war.
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26/08/2026

The First French Steam Battlefleet in Formation at Sea, circa 1884. Painted by Édouard Adam.

Édouard Adam depicts a formidable French battlefleet advancing through turbulent seas beneath a brooding sky. With sails still set in the age of steam, the scene captures a pivotal period of naval transition, when centuries-old sailing traditions met emerging industrial technology.

The disciplined formation and dramatic swell convey a commanding sense of power, order and maritime ambition in 19th century France.
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23/08/2026

This historic 1880 photograph captures a mother and child seated on a timber baulk by the River Thames in London, watching a tall sailing ship being guided by a small steam tug.
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