F. H. Lane: An Artist's Voyage through Nineteenth-Century America by James A. Craig (The History Press, Charleston, SC, 2006, 222pp, illus, appen, nores, index, biblio, ISBN 978-1-59629-090-0; $32.99hc) Firz Henry Lane? Yes, he changed his name from Narhaniel Rogers Lane to Firz Henry Lane in 1832. "Hugh" is one of rhe myths debunked in Craig's meticulous invesrigarion into Lane's life and persona. Ofren rhoughr a reclusive genius among rhe likes of Emily Dickinson, Lane was acrually an acrive parricipanr in Gloucesrer sociery. Son of a sailmaker, the lad absorbed sailing ships and rigging from the cradle on. Crippled from rhe waisr down since rhe age of 18 monrhs, he must have had exrraordinary supporr from his family to encourage him to pursue a career in arr. Since records are meager, Craig wisely resists invenrion of rhe "mighr have" caregory and shifrs to social-historian mode to rell rhe story of Lane's maruring into a master arrisr. A subsranrial proporrion of rhis handsome book is devored to full-color plares of Lane's painrings, plus drawings and relared works. Craig has an unerring sense of when rhe reader's arrenrion Bags. He sends us to a painring or drawing, where we linger and come back to rhe texr refreshed. Lane's clienrs may be meaningless to us now, bur "Srage Forr across Gloucesrer Harbor" has a frisson of recognirion- the low-ride rocks, rhe luminous warer of twilighr. The rocks are porrraits, the boars effortlessly accurate. This is intimate knowledge, gained from hours of observarions, from a man who lived amongst the scenes he painred. Quoring from exranr lerrers and newspaper accounrs, Craig has pur togerher a hinr of rhe person who creared rhese works: a man on crurches, carrying skerchbook and pencils, rraipsing over rocky beaches, hoisted to rhe top of masrs for perspecrive, sailing rhe Maine coasr, climbing mountains. Clearly nor a man who whined, bur an arrisr rhar imbued his painrings with a serene sense of balance between narure and the works of man. The srrength of this fine lirrle book is also irs weakness. Immense derail is revealed abour the provincial world of G loucesrer, but, if rhar was all rhar defined F. H. Lane, he would srill be considered a minor genre painrer insread of sharing rhe
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manume panrheon wirh Cuyp, Turner, and rhe like. I'd hope for a "coffee rable" tome rhar would include nor only James Craig's porrrair, bur cririques from an arr-historian's perspective elucidating his work in that greater contexr. Meanwhile, rhe joy of rhe presenr book is irs porrabiliry-my copy is a well-worn rraveling companion.
encouragemenr to discover similar works of historical carrography in rheir local library or museum. Readers from any shore will find rhis a valuable and beauriful addition to rheir history and naurical libraries. BRIAND. ANDREWS Monumenr Beach, Massachuserrs
A History of Ironclads: lhe Power of Iron Over Wood by John V. Quarsrein Greenporr, New York (The Histo ry Press, Charleston, SC, 2006, 284pp, appen, illus, biblio, ISBN 978-1Surveying the Shore: Historical Maps 59629-118-4; $24. 99) The lisr of books that discuss Civil of Coastal Massachusetts, 1600-1930 by Joseph G. Garver (Commonwealth War ironclads or the March 1862 Battle of Editions, Beverly, MA, 2006, 205pp, Hampton Roads grows nearly every year. maps/plares, index, plare sources, ISBN Wirhin rhese new offerings, any book rhar takes a differenr rack or offers new insighr 1-933212-27-6; $60hc) or value is rare. John V. Quarsrein's A History ofIronclads: The Power ofIron Over Wood is unique and achieves rhis goal. Quarstein, the director of rhe Virginia War Museum since 1978, begins wirh the firsr imporranr use of rams in naval warfare and proceeds rhrough rhe scrapping of rhe last Union monitor's hull in 1952. The topic as presented rhus spans over 3,700 years. An inrroductory text prepares rhe reader for rhe marerial rhat follows, essenrially a chronology of shorr enrries divided inro nine chaprers. Diverse subjecrs, such as ship design, propulsion, and weaponscentral to rhe rheme of rhe Civil War ironclad-are examined in detail. The author Carrographic historian Joseph Garver provides insighrs on events, people, invenpresents a series of historical maps, charrs, rions, and tactical innovations throughour and arrisric views of southeasrern New naval history that he believes influenced the England in his book, Surveying the Shore, developmenr, construction and fighting of Historic Maps of Coastal Massachusetts Civil War ironclads. The focus of the book, 1600-1930. The book is organized by his- however, is to provide a chronology of sigtorical periods in New England between nificant Civil War events; Quarstein does 1600 and 1930. The original maps are so by making these entries more thorough Iocared in libraries and museums in rhe than the others. Some of the more imporgrearer Boston area, including rhe Harvard tanr ironclad battles are detailed minuteMap Collection, Boston Public Library, by-minure. The author, who wrore a book and rhe Peabody Essex Museum. While on the Barde of Hampton Roads, makes a all rhe maps and charrs are beauriful ex- special efforr to provide data on this battle, amples of historical carrography, rhe early as well as to weave relevanr information works ofNarhaniel Bowdirch and George inro the timeline that provides th e conrexr Eldridge may be of parricular inrerest to for rhe battle. The author accomplishes rhis maririme history enthusiasrs. Wirh each goal with Bair. The pages are graced with many wonmap, charr, or view, Garver presents a page of text providing informarion on rhe derful illustrations and maps that complecartographer, placing his work in histori- menr the rexr well. The appendices that cal contexr. Garver aims to give rhe reader lisr rhe Union and Confederate irona rasre of these early maps and charrs as clads, building information, and ironclad ARDEN SCOTT
SEA HISTORY 120, AUTUMN 2007