Attached photo of a painting I just bought from Michael Blaser who made this as a study for a large canvas he will begin soon depicting the start of the 1870 race of the Natchez and the Rob't E. Lee at New Orleans. 10 1/2 X 15 1/2 (size of canvas). I provided Michael with a copy of my old stereo photo of the Lee at a N.O. landing which he used as reference for the feathers on her stacks. The perspective on the Lee is complex and "in person" it feels as though the boat is going to sail right out of the frame. I took Blaser's painting out of the frame and made some scans at various sizes. This is the pint-sized one. "Vive la bateaux à vapeur!" (As pretty as that sounds in French, "Long live the steamboat!" still has a bit more pizzazz.) www.michaelblaser.com Attached digital photo of a large print I bought from Blaser of his painting of Boonville, MO on the Missouri River. This about 4' X 8' if I understood him correctly and painted for the Isle of Capri casino at Boonville. The boat was named for local steamboat Captain Joseph Kinney who operated in those parts for over a quarter of a century and built a mansion called Rivercene across the river from Boonville. This really captures the feeling of so many MO river towns with the hills and foliage; the warehouses along the shore etc. Wish I could afford to get him to paint Hannibal, MO during the 1840's or '50's before Sam Clemens lit out to fulfill his destiny. It's been hot here lately but I finally had an exhaust fan put in the attic and it seems to help some . . . that space just soaked up the heat all day and radiated it all night. Seldom allow myself to run the air since the utilities are so ridiculously high. Boonville 1875 Blaser This is one of my favorite post cards. Captioned: "Wharf Scene, Little Rock. Arkansas." Can't remember if I ever sent it previously. The boat is so simple and modest, yet the retouch artist managed to get carried away and surpassed themself by creating something approaching a work of art. I can't quite put my finger on why it's so intriguing, maybe it's the dynamics of the vertical and diagonal lines and of course the color, particularly the magenta hull, and those rather over-simplified clouds. Probably just another banal day's work for the retouch artist but somehow they managed to glorify the commonplace into something out of the ordinary, perhaps even bordering on the surreal? Well, you'd know better about that than me. I scanned this from an original Boatmen's Bank of St. Louis stock certificate. Nice detail. This should be on some denomination of U.S. currency. The old original of this was dark and murky but after scanning it I was able to improve the contrast and brightened it up. Michael Blaser said the perspective on it is especially good. Nice reference for a model maker to work from. Jim Hale believes that's Mary Greene to the right of the bell on the hurricane roof. Post marked July 1906. From a dealer in Sisterville, WV. Here's another boat photo with a spiritual aura to it . . . I arrived at Keokuk on Friday at sunset before last to attend the Midwest Buffs reception and for about 10 minutes the sun washed the Verity while those outstanding clouds loomed in the background, only thing missing was the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing a Heavenly Jubilation. Hallelujah, the Steamboats are Our Salvation! next