Fred Mitchell lived at Ryde on the Isle of Wight where he painted highly competent and accurate ship portraits in watercolour. Many of these are now in the Museum's collection. His commissions, mainly for naval officers, were handled by an agent based in a bookshop called 'Griffins' close to the main gates of Portsmouth dockyard.

The Channel Mail Packet 'John Penn' was built in London in 1867 and is shown leaving Dover on her way to France. The watercolour is signed.