Stevengraph picture - st56 - Called to the rescue: Heroism at sea

by Austin Sprake:
A blue lifeboat is shown in a stormy sea going to the assistance of a sinking sailing ship. "Heroism at Sea" is sometimes omitted, and inconsistent varieties of colour exist in the crew's clothing.

by Geoffrey Godden:
A lifeboat rescue scene, normally with the sub-title "Heroism at Sea", forming a pair with "For Life or Death - Heroism on Land", the fire-engine scenes [displayed on this site as st228 and st232].
This "Called to the Rescue" scene was registered on 20th February 1880 and first occurs on label 11. It is normally found on card-mounts of type B [as the image above] - often B1. It is rare on later mounts, although the subject was included on labels issued into the twentieth century. Some mounts do not include the sub-title 'Heroism at Sea' [see st60 on this site].
A few Stevengraphs of this subject are on cards with the following wording printed above the picture:

In Memoriam
of the eleven brave men of the Life-boat 'Eliza Adams' who nobly
sacrificed their lives while endeavouring to rescue the crew of the
Ocean Queen, off Wells, October 29th, 1880.

This special wording may have been added only to examples sold locally at Wells or other near-by seaside towns, and such inscribed specimens could well have been sold at a premium to raise funds for the dependents of the lost men. It is highly probable that they were sold only for a brief period - perhaps for no more than a year after the event - for they are very rarely found today, although the basic subject is amongst those most commonly found.

Other comments:
Design registered 20th February 1880

Reference Number:-	Sprake Number:-	Godden Number:-
st 56	STG179	3

Words:	Woven on silk:- Printed at bottom of card-mount:- WOVEN IN SILK BY THOMAS STEVENS, INVENTOR AND MANUFACTURER, COVENTRY AND LONDON, (REGISTERED.) Called to the Rescue. HEROISM AT SEA
Size:	card-mount: 12.4 cm deep by 19.0 cm wide silk: 5.1 cm high by 15.2 cm wide
Comments:	by Austin Sprake: A blue lifeboat is shown in a stormy sea going to the assistance of a sinking sailing ship. "Heroism at Sea" is sometimes omitted, and inconsistent varieties of colour exist in the crew's clothing. by Geoffrey Godden: A lifeboat rescue scene, normally with the sub-title "Heroism at Sea", forming a pair with "For Life or Death - Heroism on Land", the fire-engine scenes [displayed on this site as st228 and st232]. This "Called to the Rescue" scene was registered on 20th February 1880 and first occurs on label 11. It is normally found on card-mounts of type B [as the image above] - often B1. It is rare on later mounts, although the subject was included on labels issued into the twentieth century. Some mounts do not include the sub-title 'Heroism at Sea' [see st60 on this site]. A few Stevengraphs of this subject are on cards with the following wording printed above the picture: In Memoriam of the eleven brave men of the Life-boat 'Eliza Adams' who nobly sacrificed their lives while endeavouring to rescue the crew of the Ocean Queen, off Wells, October 29th, 1880. This special wording may have been added only to examples sold locally at Wells or other near-by seaside towns, and such inscribed specimens could well have been sold at a premium to raise funds for the dependents of the lost men. It is highly probable that they were sold only for a brief period - perhaps for no more than a year after the event - for they are very rarely found today, although the basic subject is amongst those most commonly found. Other comments: Design registered 20th February 1880

CALLED TO THE RESCUE

HEROISM AT SEA