Clipper Ship Swiftsure

Clipper Ship Swiftsure, 1326 tons
This ship was one of the exceptions of the Greenfleet in that she was built at Boston U.S.A. As a result she was made of American soft wood instead of oak. The Swiftsure was specially commissioned to carry emigrants to Australia in the boom periods of the 1855. Her interior, therefore, was not fitted out to give the luxurious accommodation which was enjoyed in most of the sailing ships of this period. Moreover, with soft Wood instead of oak, she would have had to shorten sail in heavy weather to prevent overstraining, well before her sisters. Nevertheless, she was a well built ship and recorded many fine performances.

This lithograph was made in the 1950s by litho-offset on very high quality, thick paper. The paper is creamy white and in excellent condition.