The Little Western

Fredrick Norman and George Thomas performed the second double crossing of the Atlantic in a small boat. They departed from Gloucester, Massachusetts on 12 June 1880, watched by a crowd of 30,000 spectators, in the Little Western, a 16 ft American dory, and landed at Cowes on the Isle of Wight on 28 July 1880. They stayed in England for a year and then embarked on their return journey on 15 June 1881. After a difficult crossing, they arrived back in America 65 days later.

According to the information printed on the reverse of the mount, Frederick Norman was a native of Norway and George Thomas was originally from Halifax in Nova Scotia, but both men were citizens of New York. ‘The Little Western sailed from Gloucester, Mass, the 12th of June for London, and accomplished the perilous voyage across the Atlantic in 43 days. She is the smallest boat that has ever carried greetings from the New World to the Old, performing the voyage in the shortest time on record.’

Photographer unidentified.

The photograph was entered at Stationers' Hall (an essential part of the copyright process) on 6 October 1880. According to the accompanying form, the owners of the work were Frederick Norman and George Peter Thomas of 140 Loughborough Park, London; the author of the work was recorded as Carl Norman and Company, Graphic Villa, St James Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. The work itself was described as a 'Photograph of the American Dory Boat the "Little Western" in Gloucester Harbour, Mass., at anchor with two figures.'