This book is the first-ever publication of works by artist Ted Drover, accompanied by text providing contextual background for the aspect of the history of Newfoundland and Labrador that each drawing represents. Ted Drover's personal papers indicate that it had been his intention to publish a book "of seagoing crafts engaged in the fishery and general commerce of the island of Newfoundland and Labrador from about 1850 to 1950 ... starting with wind-powered ships and developing through sailing ships with auxiliary power to ships powered with steam and internal combustion."
The drawings which have been included in this collection are authentic depictions of vessels which plied the waters around this island and beyond, connecting place to place, and people to each other and to the larger world. They represent a lifestyle which has all but disappeared.
More than thirty of Ted Drover's works were donated to the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador by the artist and are held at The Rooms. Although they are rarely on display for public viewing, they are accessible to researchers for study.
