The E-Sylum:  Volume 6, Number 11, March 16, 2003, Article 7

ORMSBY SHIP IMAGE QUERY

  Dr. Arthur Tobias of Los Angeles writes: "I have a query for
  your readers.  I have two questions relating to W. L. Ormsby
  and ship images.  Did Ormsby engrave any ship images on
  paper money?  And in the late 1830s - 40s what access
  would he have had to ship images when he had an assignment
  to do a specific naval scene?

  I am working on a second article for publication on the 3
  engravings that Ormsby did for Samuel Colt's revolver cylinders
  in the 1840s.  The first article was on the Stagecoach Holdup
  Scene and described the context of the image and aspects of
  the grammagraph process.  The Autry Museum in Los Angeles
  provided me with a photo of a proof plate in their collection.
  The article was published in the 11.01 The Gun Report.

  I am now working with an image from the proof plate of the
  Naval Engagement Scene (commemorating the 16 May 1843
  fight between ships of the Texas Republic and the Mexican
  Navy) and am writing about the historical events behind the
  scene.  Ormsby would have received the commission for the
  Naval Scene circa 1849.

  I have consulted Muscalus' Early Ships ... On Paper Money.
  I find no notes by either Continental Bank Note or New York
  Bank Note Companies.  Ormsby was connected with both
  these firms in the 1850s.  He worked for Carter, Andrews & Co.
  prior to that time.

  I have found a handful of images, mostly in the Newberry
  Library or UTexas Archives, of journal sketches of Texas and
  Mexican ships in harbor, etc. from the period of the Texas
  Republic.  But these would not have been published at that time
  and so not available to Ormsby.  They do confirm that his
  depiction of the ships Austin, Wharton, Guadalupe and
  Moctezuma are relatively accurate.  Any help will be
  appreciated."

  [Dr. Tobias' email address is harvart@mindspring.com
   -Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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