A portrait of Robert Fulton, 1765-1815, the American engineer and inventor, who developed the first commercially successful steamboat, conveying passengers between New York and Albany. This is a re-drawing by an unknown hand of Leney's stipple-engraved print of this American engineer, which was published in New York in 1817 by Kirk and Mercein, and of which there is a copy in the National Portrait Gallery. It was from a drawing by Miss Emmett, itself derived from a portrait by Sir Benjamin West who (himself American by birth), was an early friend of Fulton's. To the left of heavier background drapery, the print has an exterior view of a mastless armoured steam gun-vessel in action with shore positions and it bears the formal title 'Robert Fulton Esqr' in the same position as in this redrawing. Whether the Fulton signature applied on a separate slip here is a cut-out autograph or simply a transcribed copy is unclear but it does not feature on the print version. The pencil notes to the right read 'G...len [indeciph.] & Monthly Mag [azine] / V. x. 114 / also Penny Mag[azine' / no. 3 p.19 / my Bust [?] of Artist'. The 'Penny Magazine' reference is to a short article from 1829, entitled 'The Disappointments of the Authors of Important Inventions', which appeared without illustration in vol. 1 of that periodical (1832) no. 3, page 19. Which 'Monthly Magazine' the other note refers to has yet to be found, but may be American if it is also the source of the print.

The inscription at the bottom in ink reads: 'Inventor of the steam-boat / was a man of rare mechanical ingenuity, inventor of the Catamaran / system of blowing-up vessels - his infernal machine - Life of St Vincent / v[ol] 2 p 315'. Edward Pelham Brenton's two-volume 'Life and correspondence of John [Jervis], Earl of St Vincent' was published in 1838, showing the ink inscription was later than that, but the drawing itself may be earlier. 'Chappel' was previously also listed as a further 'artist' name: the reason is uncertain unless it appears on the back of the sheet. [PvdM 8/18]