M.V. Trepassey, 1959

Captain Earl Winsor, Newfoundland & Labrador (a commission) by descent to the present Private Collection, Newfoundland & Labrador

This early painting by David Blackwood was commissioned by Earl Winsor, who captained the M.V. Trepassey with his father Joshua Winsor and his brother, P.C. (Ches) Winsor, residents of Wesleyville, Newfoundland and principal owners of the Winsor Trading Company. Painted while David Blackwood was in high school, the artist recalls ordering the canvas board and paint materials from the T. Eaton catalogue and believes the cost of the commission to have been approximately $20 and the cost of the materials around $5. The M.V. Trepassey was a storied Newfoundland vessel, built in the 1940s, which has been featured on postage stamps from the British Antarctic Territories and the Falkland Islands. The vessel is the namesake of a British Antarctic base and the ship’s name was given to Trepassey Island in Antarctica. The ship is one of ten vessels which were known as the Splinter Fleet, constructed “...in Clarenville, Newfoundland between 1944 and 1947. The ships were built for the Newfoundland government and were operated by the Newfoundland railway. The ships were named after different communities throughout the province.” During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the M.V. Trepassey serviced the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador as a chartered vessel to the Canadian National Railway. The Winsor family are the subjects of well-known prints by David Blackwood, including “Captain Winsor” (1973) and “Brian and Martin Winsor Sleeping” (1985). We extend our thanks to David & Anita Blackwood for providing details related to this artwork and to the family of the consignor (a descendant of the Winsors) for providing details related to the M.V. Trepassey.