The American clipper Electric passing the Bay of Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro, with the Sugar Loaf Mountain off her starboard bow, 1854

The medium clipper Electric was built in 1853 by Irons and Grinnell at Mystic, Connecticut, launched on 5th September and first operated in the trans-Atlantic trade between New York and Le Havre. On 15th November, 1854, she left New York for San Francisco under the command of Captain Gates. Slow to the Equator she then did well, taking only 19 days to latitude 50 degrees. She passed Cape Horn on 12th January, 1855 but was bedevilled by nine days of westerly gales. In all she spent 17 days in the 50's but was then fast up to her destination. She arrived in fog and stood offshore until a pilot took her into San Francisco on 4th March, 109 days from New York.

This was the only passage made by Electric to San Francisco and on her return she resumed her place on the trans-Atlantic route. In the 1860's she was sold to Sloman and Edye of Hamburg, going under the North German flag without a change of name and running as a packet between Hamburg and New York. In 1868, she went aground at Great Egg harbour, New Jersey but her cargo was lightered off and she was towed to New York where she was extensivley repaired. On 7th November, 1872, in latitude 40 degrees north, longtitude 55 degrees west, Electric was abandoned leaky and nearly full of water. Her crew was picked up by the Helmesbrand and landed at Queenstown.

Christie's are most grateful to the artist for the above notes to accompany this painting.