Collection
Maritime Art and History
PEM’s wide-ranging maritime collection conveys the far-reaching cultural, symbolic and emotional impact of the sea.
The sea holds universal allure as a muse for artistic and cultural expression.
Emphasizing physical fortitude, technical challenges, adventure, commercial adroitness and exposure to other cultures, works in PEM’s maritime collection employ diverse forms of expression to convey the far-reaching cultural, symbolic and emotional impact of the sea.
PEM was founded in 1799 in part to collect ship’s logs, navigational instruments and sea charts that mariners could consult to increase safety at sea for all. The collection rapidly expanded to include ship models, paintings and prints that chronicled notable experiences of trade, exploration and cross-cultural interaction. During long ocean voyages, crew members created decorated boxes, whimsies in bottles, nautical carvings and scrimshaw. These works capture the distinctive creative spirit and emotional impulses generated by seafaring experiences. From this perceptive selection of extraordinary objects arose the first and most comprehensive maritime collection in the United States.
PEM’s maritime holdings reflect the legacy of many generous donors, some of whom contributed substantial collections to help the museum tell a wider range of stories of interaction with the sea around the globe and through time. These collections focus on Pacific exploration and discovery, sea charts, whaling paintings and prints, steamship and ocean liner paintings, posters and ephemera, ship portraits by American and European artists and New England fishing scenes.
PEM strives to embrace a global perspective on the maritime experience through historical and contemporary works that express the universal significance and symbolism of the sea.
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Highlights from this collection
ON VIEW
Two-headed equestrian figurehead, about 1750
On view in the Byrne Family Gallery of Maritime Art.
ON VIEW
Royal presentation octant dedicated to King Louis XVI, about 1786
On view in the Byrne Family Gallery of Maritime Art.
ON VIEW
Model of the ship Queen Elizabeth, 1947–48
On view in the Byrne Family Gallery of Maritime Art.
ON VIEW
They Took Their Wives with Them on Their Cruises, about 1938
On view in the Byrne Family Gallery of Maritime Art.
ON VIEW
Model of the ship Friendship, about 1804
On view in the Byrne Family Gallery of Maritime Art.
ON VIEW
The Stranding of Corvettes in the Mauvais Canal, Strait of Torres (L’échouage des corvettes dans le canal Mauvais, détroit de Torrès), 1843
On view in the Byrne Family Gallery of Maritime Art.
Two-headed equestrian figurehead, about 1750
Artist in the United Kingdom, Two-headed equestrian figurehead, about 1750 (detail). White pine. Museum purchase, made possible by Ulf B. and Elizabeth C. Heide. 2018.12.1.
On view in the Byrne Family Gallery of Maritime Art.
Ship Southern Cross in Boston Harbor, 1851
Fitz Henry Lane (1804–1865, United States), Ship Southern Cross in Boston Harbor, 1851. Oil on canvas. Gift of the estate of Stephen Wheatland, 1987. M18639.
Royal presentation octant dedicated to King Louis XVI, about 1786
Jean Baptiste Magnié (mid-18th century, France), Royal presentation octant dedicated to King Louis XVI, about 1786. Brass, mahogany, and glass. Gift of Strafford Morss, 1966. M10975.
On view in the Byrne Family Gallery of Maritime Art.
Model of the ship Queen Elizabeth, 1947–48
Bassett-Lowke Ltd (Northampton, United Kingdom), Model of the ship Queen Elizabeth, 1947–48 (detail). White mahogany, gunmetal and brass. Gift of Cunard Line Ltd., 1970. M14220.
On view in the Byrne Family Gallery of Maritime Art.
They Took Their Wives with Them on Their Cruises, about 1938
N. C. Wyeth (1882–1945, United States), They Took Their Wives with Them on Their Cruises, about 1938. Oil on board. Museum purchase, made possible by Nancy and George Putnam, 2007. M27834. Photo by Dennis Helmar.
On view in the Byrne Family Gallery of Maritime Art.
Scrimshaw of the ship Susan, 1829
Frederick Myrick (1808–1862, United States), Scrimshaw of the ship Susan, 1829. Whale tooth. Gift of George Peirce, 1830. M13.
On view in the Byrne Family Gallery of Maritime Art.
Model of the ship Friendship, about 1804
Thomas Russell and Mr. Odell (active 19th century, United States), Model of the ship Friendship, about 1804. Wood, cordage and bronze. Gift of Captain William Story, about 1804. M48.
On view in the Byrne Family Gallery of Maritime Art.
Captain Cook Cast a Way on Cape Cod, 1802
Michele Felice Cornè (1752–1845, Italian, American), Captain Cook Cast a Way on Cape Cod, 1802. Gouache on paper. Gift of Augustus Peabody Loring Jr., 1946. M5923. Photo by Mark Sexton.
Ship Alfred of Salem Cap Joseph Felt, 1806
Nicolas Cammillieri (1773–1860, France), Ship Alfred of Salem Cap Joseph Felt, 1806. Watercolor on paper. Gift of Marion H. Lieb, Elizabeth M. Ringquist, and Grace F. Agge, 1956. M8900. Photo by Mark Sexton.
Figurehead, about 1805
Attributed to William Rush (1756–1833, United States), Figurehead, about 1805. Pine and paint. Museum purchase, made possible by the Maritime Visiting Committee, Levin H. Campbell Jr., and an anonymous donor. M27741.
On view in the Byrne Family Gallery of Maritime Art.
Icebound Ship, about 1880
William Bradford (1823–1892, United States), Icebound Ship, about 1880. Oil on canvas. Museum purchase with funds donated anonymously, 1996. M27190.
Portrait of Nathaniel Bowditch, 1835
Charles Osgood (1809–1890, United States), Portrait of Nathaniel Bowditch, 1835. Oil on canvas. Commissioned by the East India Marine Society, 1835. M370. Photo by Mark Sexton.
On view in the Byrne Family Gallery of Maritime Art.
Launching of the Ship Fame, 1802
George Ropes (1788–1819, United States), Launching of the Ship Fame, 1802. Oil on canvas. Gift of Nathaniel Silsbee, 1862. 108332.
The Stranding of Corvettes in the Mauvais Canal, Strait of Torres (L’échouage des corvettes dans le canal Mauvais, détroit de Torrès), 1843
Louis Le Breton (1818–1886, France), The Stranding of Corvettes in the Mauvais Canal, Strait of Torres (L’échouage des corvettes dans le canal Mauvais, détroit de Torrès), 1843. Oil on canvas. Museum purchase, made possible by the Fellows and Friends Fund, 1961. M10920.
On view in the Byrne Family Gallery of Maritime Art.
Loans and acquisitions
PEM is committed to providing the broadest possible access to its collection through the loan of objects for educational and scholarly purposes. Learn how to request a loan from the museum’s collection.
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