fishing boats | inside the CHS

Richard Welling’s marker drawing of the draggers Two Brothers and Marise is similar to drawings that appeared in his 1974 book Drawing with Markers. The Connecticut Historical Society, Gift of the Richard Welling Family, 2012.284.5635

As you’ll know if you’ve been following our blogs about Richard Welling, Richard Welling liked planes and trains and automobiles—and he also liked boats and ships. Not surprisingly, he was drawn to Stonington, Connecticut and its famous fishing fleet. Two of his drawings of Stonington, “Stonington Docks” and a view of the Stonington Lighthouse, were included in his book, Drawing with Markers, published in 1974. “Stonington Docks” features two fishing boats, the Fairweather and the Beth Ann; CHS has a drawing of two similar fishing boats, the Two Brothers and the Marise, also of Stonington, Connecticut. Another sketch is a preliminary drawing for the lighthouse, featured in the book. Welling’s travels extended well outside his home state. Other illustrations in Drawing with Markers depict the schooners Hesper and Luther B. Little, decaying on the waterfront in Wiscasset, Maine, and views in Portland, Camden, and Bar Harbor. Watch this site for images of some of these other harbors in months to come, or visit the Waterman Research Center at the Connecticut Historical Society where the original drawings may be seen upon request.