Ship portrait. A starboard-broadside view of the ship 'Summer Cloud' at sea in moderately stormy weather under lower topsails, main and fore courses and two inner jibs. It was an iron vessel of 698 tons, built by Pile & Co., at Hartlepool in 1859 and consistently noted in Lloyd's Register as ship-rigged, as shown in the painting, until 1875. Registry length varies from 160 to 168.4 feet with a beam of approximately 30.9 to 31 feet and depth in hold of 18.3 to 19 feet. It was initially owned by W. Sabistan, London, but from 1862 was registered at Leith and its last British owners were the South Lancashire Ship Owners Co. It does not feature in Lloyd's Register from 1876 to 1879 but reappears from 1880 renamed 'Weser', in German ownership and re-rigged as a barque. On the night of 13 December 1900 (alternative report says 23rd), while at anchor on the north side of the River Elbe near Altenbruch, the steamer 'Milano' collided with the 'Wiscombe Park', an English sailing ship anchored close by. Both were only damaged but the flooding tide swung the stern of the 'Milano' round and it hit the 'Weser' amidships. The resulting leak could not be stopped and the 'Weser' sank, still at anchor, though all the crew were taken off. As 'Summer Cloud' the ship's early voyages were to Aden and Australia, then more variously: log books and articles of agreement, 1860-66, are in the Mitchell Library, Sydney (MSS 2344, Boxes YV537 and 540). The painting is identified by the name 'Summer Cloud' on the ship's bow: the double topsails may date it from the mid-1860s up to 1875 rather than earlier. [PvdM 2/21]