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Catalog entry

inv. 154
Fremont's Encampment at the Loaf, West Gloucester
1862
Graphite on paper (2 sheets)
8 1/2 x 20 in. (21.6 x 50.8 cm)
Inscribed lower center (in pencil): Fremont's Encampment at the Loaf, West Gloucester. / Sketched by F.H. Lane (1862?) Lane made a painting from this sketch and presented it to Mrs. Fremont.
 

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Types of Objects:   Study »
Subject Types:   Landscape »   //   Military Scene »
Cape Ann Locales:   Coffin's Beach / Two Penny Loaf »

Historical Materials
Below is historical information related to the Lane work above. To see complete information on a subject on the Historical Materials page, click on the subject name (in bold and underlined).

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publication
1862 Unknown Newspaper
1862
Unknown newspaper

"Fremont's Camp.- Mr. Fitz H. Lane, has recently finished a very pretty painting representing the encampment of Col. Fremont at the "Loaf." It is executed with the artist's usual ability and gives a faithful idea of the scene. The painting is now on exhibition at the store of Procter Bros."

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"Coffin's Beach extends from the Essex River on the west to the Annisquam River on the east. The rocks called Two Penny Loaf, where Lane positioned himself in View of Coffin's Beach, 1862 (inv. 41), lie at the Essex end of the beach. Coffin's Beach was named for the landowners who established a farm there in the seventeenth century. In 1775 Peter Coffin (c.1724–96), an ardent patriot, and a handful of friends held off Captain John Linzee (or Lindsay), a loyalist, and his crew from the "Falcon" when they attempted to land and make off with sheep from the farm. However, the farm was abandoned in Lane's time, and it was probably the presence of John Charles Fremont (1813–90) encamped on Coffin's Beach in August 1862 that drew the artist to the site." (1)

Reference:

1. Karen Quinn with Sandra Kelberlau and Jean Woodward, "Rediscovering Fitz Henry Lane's 'View of Coffin's Beach' on Cape Ann," The Magazine Antiques (2006): 68.

photo (historical)
Coffin's Beach
Joseph H. Clark
September 30, 1888
Stereograph card
5 x 8
Cape Ann Museum Library and Archive
[+]
map
1851 Map of the Towns of Gloucester and Rockport (detail of Annisquam River)
H. F. Walling
1851
44 x 34 in.
Henry Francis Walling, Map of the Towns of Gloucester and Rockport, Essex Co. Massachusetts. Philadelphia, A. Kollner, 1851
Cape Ann Museum Library & Archive

"Map of the Towns of Gloucester and Rockport, Massachusetts. H.F. Walling, Civil Engineer. John Hanson, Publisher. 1851. Population of Gloucester in 1850 7,805. Population of Rockport in 1850 3,213."

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publication
1862 Cape Ann Advertiser 10.31.1862
1.31.1862
Newspaper clipping
Cape Ann Advertiser
Collection of Fred and Stephanie Buck

"MARINE PAINTING. – Mr. F. H. Lane has recently finished a splendid painting of Coffin's Beach, taken from the 'Loaf', which is one of the artist's happiest efforts. In the foreground is represented a ledge of cragged rocks over which the sea is tumbling in feathery foam; while stretching away to the right is the long sand beach and open bay. In the distance are seen the villages of Annisquam and Lanesville. The sun is just rising behind the hills, throwing his golden beams over the whole scene, forming a picture truly delightful to gaze upon. There is an air of solitary grandeur about the painting which we have seldom seen equalled, and we hope the artist will be induced to place it on exhibition for a few days."

Image: Collection of Fred and Stephanie Buck
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publication
1863 Gloucester Telegraph 12.23.1863
12.23.1863
Newspaper
Gloucester Telegraph

"The Cape Ann Sanitary Fair: [Held Tues–Fri in the Pavilion Hotel by favor of the owner Sidney Mason of New York] In another part of the Hall hangs a fine picture, the generous gift of our own Artist, Mr. Lane. The Subject is "Coffin's Beach," as seen from the "Loaf." This is the most costly article on sale in the rooms, and is valued at $100. It will be disposed of by tickets of $1 each."

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publication
1863 Gloucester Telegraph 12.26.1863
12.26.1863
Newsprint
Gloucester Telegraph
Cape Ann Museum Library & Archive

At a Sanitary Fair held at the Pavilion "obtained through the favor and generosity of the owner, Mr. SIDNEY MASON, of New York, and to whom many thanks are due."  "... hangs a fine picture, the generous gift of our own Artist, Mr. Lane.  The Subject is "Coffin's Beach," as seen from the "Loaf."  This is the most costly article on sale in the rooms, and is valued at $100. It will be disposed of by tickets $1 each."

Two paintings by Lane, Little Good Harbor Beach and View from the Loaf were on sale at the Fair.

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map
Locator map: Coffin's Beach and the Loaf
H. F. Walling
1851
44 x 34 inches
John Hanson, Publisher
Cape Ann Museum Library & Archive

Also filed under: Loaf, The »

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Also known as "Two Penny Loaf," this is a rocky outcropping at the northern end of Coffin's Beach on Ipswich Bay in Gloucester, Massachusetts, from which Lane drew and painted Coffin's Beach. The Loaf was also the site of his creation of a drawing and a painting (now lost) of General Fremont's encampment.

Related tables: Coffin's Beach »
map
1851 Map of the Towns of Gloucester and Rockport (detail of Annisquam River)
H. F. Walling
1851
44 x 34 in.
Henry Francis Walling, Map of the Towns of Gloucester and Rockport, Essex Co. Massachusetts. Philadelphia, A. Kollner, 1851
Cape Ann Museum Library & Archive

"Map of the Towns of Gloucester and Rockport, Massachusetts. H.F. Walling, Civil Engineer. John Hanson, Publisher. 1851. Population of Gloucester in 1850 7,805. Population of Rockport in 1850 3,213."

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publication
1862 Cape Ann Advertiser 8.22.1862
1862
Newspaper clipping
Cape Ann Advertiser
Collection of Fred and Stephanie Buck

"GEN. FREMONT with his family and a portion of his staff, have been encamped at the 'Loaf' for the past fortnight. On Monday afternoon, in company with a few friends, we visited Coffin's Beach, and made a brief call at their encampment, having a strong desire to see the man of whom we have heard and read..."

Image: Collection of Fred and Stephanie Buck
[+]
publication
1862 Unknown Newspaper
1862
Unknown newspaper

"Fremont's Camp.- Mr. Fitz H. Lane, has recently finished a very pretty painting representing the encampment of Col. Fremont at the "Loaf." It is executed with the artist's usual ability and gives a faithful idea of the scene. The painting is now on exhibition at the store of Procter Bros."

[+]
publication
1863 Gloucester Telegraph 12.26.1863
12.26.1863
Newsprint
Gloucester Telegraph
Cape Ann Museum Library & Archive

At a Sanitary Fair held at the Pavilion "obtained through the favor and generosity of the owner, Mr. SIDNEY MASON, of New York, and to whom many thanks are due."  "... hangs a fine picture, the generous gift of our own Artist, Mr. Lane.  The Subject is "Coffin's Beach," as seen from the "Loaf."  This is the most costly article on sale in the rooms, and is valued at $100. It will be disposed of by tickets $1 each."

Two paintings by Lane, Little Good Harbor Beach and View from the Loaf were on sale at the Fair.

[+]
map
Locator map: Coffin's Beach and the Loaf
H. F. Walling
1851
44 x 34 inches
John Hanson, Publisher
Cape Ann Museum Library & Archive

Also filed under: Coffin's Beach »

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John Charles Fremont (1813–90) was encamped on Coffin's Beach in August 1862. "A renowned explorer, Fremont had recently been relieved of his command as a general in the Union Army for exceeding his authority and had set up camp at Two Penny Loaf. Lane made a drawing of the camp, which he used as the basis for an oil painting [current location unknown] for Fremont's wife, Jessie (neé Benton; 1824–1901)." (1) Fremont's Encampment at the Loaf, West Gloucester, 1862 (inv. 154). It was probably Fremont's presence at Coffin's Beach in August 1862 that drew Lane to the spot and was the occasion of his pictures of Coffin's Beach.

(1) Karen Quinn with Sandra Kelberlau and Jean Woodward"Rediscovering Fitz Henry Lane's 'View of Coffin's Beach' on Cape Ann." The Magazine Antiques (2006): 68.

publication
1862 Cape Ann Advertiser 8.22.1862
1862
Newspaper clipping
Cape Ann Advertiser
Collection of Fred and Stephanie Buck

"GEN. FREMONT with his family and a portion of his staff, have been encamped at the 'Loaf' for the past fortnight. On Monday afternoon, in company with a few friends, we visited Coffin's Beach, and made a brief call at their encampment, having a strong desire to see the man of whom we have heard and read..."

Image: Collection of Fred and Stephanie Buck
[+]
publication
1862 Unknown Newspaper
1862
Unknown newspaper

"Fremont's Camp.- Mr. Fitz H. Lane, has recently finished a very pretty painting representing the encampment of Col. Fremont at the "Loaf." It is executed with the artist's usual ability and gives a faithful idea of the scene. The painting is now on exhibition at the store of Procter Bros."

[+]
photo (historical)
Jessie Benton Fremont at Black Point
1863
Photograph
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
[+]

Marks & Labels

Marks: Inscribed upper left (in red ink): 64 [numbering system used by curator A. M. Brooks upon Samuel H. Mansfield's donation of the drawings to the Cape Ann Museum]

Exhibition History

No known exhibitions.

Published References

Cape Ann 1974: Paintings and Drawings by Fitz Hugh Lane, fig. 88.
Wilmerding 2007a: Fitz Henry Lane & Mary Blood Mellen: Old Mysteries and New Discoveries, fig. 9, p. 21. ⇒ includes text

Related historical materials

Cape Ann Locales
People
Citation: "Fremont's Encampment at the Loaf, West Gloucester, 1862 (inv. 154)." Fitz Henry Lane Online. Cape Ann Museum. http://fitzhenrylaneonline.org/catalog/entry.php?id=154 (accessed December 6, 2024).
Record last updated February 21, 2016. Please note that the information on this and all pages is periodically reviewed and subject to change.
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