Lot Essay
The date of this painted tin cannot be earlier than 1934 when the Queen Mary was launched and was probably no earlier that 1936 when she first sailed after fitting out. It is unlikely that Wallis would have seen the Queen Mary from Penzance, although she could have been seen from Lizard Head.
The vessel shown on the lid and apparently named Myspah, is possibly the three-masted Barque MIZPAH - two decks, one hundred and thirty nine feet long, built towards the end of the nineteenth century. The sails are unusual and would not have been set as shown if at sea, because the lack of the headsails on the bowsprit would have interfered with the steering. Also, there would be cross-yards on the fore and main masts. It is possible however, that she was rigged as a Barquentine which would be closer to the painting and that she was seen at anchor with fore and aft sails only, raised in light airs to dry after completing a passage, possibly in Mounts Bay, Penzance.
An alternative vessel is the Schooner MIZPAH - one hundred and forty one tons, ninety one feet long, built at Kingswear in 1855 and still listed in 1881. It is unlikely that this would have been still at sea in the thirties, but Wallis undoubtedly worked from memories before the thirties. There were several smaller vessels with this name in the eighties and nineties but none would have had three masts.
The vessel shown on the lid and apparently named Myspah, is possibly the three-masted Barque MIZPAH - two decks, one hundred and thirty nine feet long, built towards the end of the nineteenth century. The sails are unusual and would not have been set as shown if at sea, because the lack of the headsails on the bowsprit would have interfered with the steering. Also, there would be cross-yards on the fore and main masts. It is possible however, that she was rigged as a Barquentine which would be closer to the painting and that she was seen at anchor with fore and aft sails only, raised in light airs to dry after completing a passage, possibly in Mounts Bay, Penzance.
An alternative vessel is the Schooner MIZPAH - one hundred and forty one tons, ninety one feet long, built at Kingswear in 1855 and still listed in 1881. It is unlikely that this would have been still at sea in the thirties, but Wallis undoubtedly worked from memories before the thirties. There were several smaller vessels with this name in the eighties and nineties but none would have had three masts.