Alexander C. Stuart (1831–1898) was a British-born American painter, specializing in naval scenes. He grew up in Glasgow, served in the British Army, and immigrated to US around 1861. Since then lived and worked on the East Coast of the United States. In the US he served in the Marines and the Navy (Union) until 1866; since then he worked as an artist and illustrator. In the U.S., Stuart worked primarily on navy bases and shipyards near the Delaware River. He also worked quite a bit in Washington, Philadelphia, and New York. According to an account of his life written by Stuart, he had studied engineering and medicine before enlisting in the English Army in the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included t ...

and the

Indian Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

. After resigning from the Navy, Stuart began working as an artist and illustrator for the merchant shipbuilding companies. His first employer was John Roach & Son in Chester, for whom he worked from 1872 to 1880. He later worked for

Harlan & Hollingsworth Harlan & Hollingsworth was a Wilmington, Delaware, firm that constructed ships and railroad cars during the 19th century and into the 20th century. Founding Mahlon Betts, a carpenter, arrived in Wilmington in 1812. After helping construct ma ...

in Wilmington, Delaware. During this period Stuart produced numerous illustrations of early iron steamships built by these firms. These images became valuable documentary sources for this era of shipbuilding in the U.S., giving Stuart's work added value. In 1882, Stuart went to New York, seeking to earn a name and living as an artist in the city. This move did not prove successful. A year later, he moved to Florida. There, he first settled in

St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...

and then moved to Eustis where he worked as a physician for nearly a year. In 1886, Stuart moved again to the Wilmington area and stayed there until 1895. From there he moved with his daughter to

Camden Camden may refer to: People * Camden (surname), a surname of English origin * Camden Joy (born 1964), American writer * Camden Toy (born 1957), American actor Places Australia * Camden, New South Wales * Camden, Rosehill, a heritage res ...

, New Jersey. His financial condition in the final years of his life saw a decline, but he painted marine subjects until his death in 1898. Independence Seaport Museum 028

References

1831 births 1898 deaths United States Marines 19th-century American painters American male painters 19th-century British Army personnel 19th-century British painters British male painters British emigrants to the United States American marine artists Artists from Glasgow British Army personnel of the Crimean War British military personnel of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 19th-century American male artists United States Navy sailors 19th-century British male artists {{US-painter-1830s-stub

Further reading

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