John Swatsley (B. 1937) "Dorchester Locomotive"

John Swatsley (American, B. 1937) "The Dorchester Locomotive" Signed lower left. Original Oil on Illustration Board painting.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the Canada 32c Dorchester stamp issued March 10, 1983. The rugged Canadian Rockies ... and the vast, unexplored wilderness blanketed with thick forests and deep ravines ... were once cut only by wild tumbling rivers and an occasional town. Traveling across the untamed Canadian wilderness on horseback or on foot was a difficult ... and often dangerous journey. Many towns were isolated, and trade and communications were poor. However, in 1836, the beginning of a new era was born when a small stretch of track was carved into the land between Montreal and the Richelieu River -- saving ninety miles of river travel. The first railway in Canada -- the Champlain and St. Lawrence -- opened for business on July 21, 1836. Traveling along the stretch of tracks was the first steam locomotive in Canada ... the Dorchester ... built in England by Robert Stephanson & Company. Nicknamed the "Kitten," this magnificent steam engine was equipped with a long, thin smoke stack and an open cab where the engineers fed chopped wood into the glowing furnace. Several years later, the Dorchester was sold to the St. Lawrence & Industrie Railroad where she remained in service until 1864. A derailment and fiery boiler explosion caused irreparable damage, and Canada's first steam locomotive was destroyed. All that is left today of the famous Dorchester is her brass nameplate which was found by a farmer while plowing his field. He gave it to the College Museum of Joliette, Quebec, where it is now preserved and on display.

Image Size: 14 x 12 in.
Overall Size: 20 x 18 in.
Unframed.
(B08330)
Condition Report: - By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.
- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via wire transfer or cashier’s check, no other forms of payment will be accepted.
- All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.
- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.
- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com
- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through 6 online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.
- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be out bid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.