Henry Reuterdahl
Henry Reuterdahl was hand chosen by President Roosevelt, as one of America's leading maritime painters to accompany the Fleet and document the voyage on canvas. His work was widely accepted in many books and magazines and his ability to capture everyday events quickly and effectively made him ideal for this mission.
He was also active with his opinions, and unbeknown to the President, Reuterdahl had published an article in McClure's Magazine regarding the Fleet’s readiness. His critical article discussed the armoured belts of the battleships, ability of the gun batteries to fire during pitching seas, and the design of ammunition shafts aboard the ships.
By the time the article was published in December 1907 Henry had already departed with the Fleet. When the implication of his article was felt by the Fleet, he was put ashore in Punta Areas, Chile to find his own transportation home.
The image of the cover below was published in June 1908 during the Fleet's visit to California.
Reuterdahl was a Lieutenant in the United States Navy and was best known for his paintings of Navy warships and recruiting posters for World War I, though he did exhibit in the 1913 Armory Show, in New York City. He also painted landscapes in a kind of tapestry-like, pointillist, impasto style. His trip with the Fleet was aboard the USS Culoga where he was able to observe the other ships from the deck of the ship as they appeared to port and starboard in formation steaming.
In viewing each of the images he painted from the Fleet's visits it is clear he was able to capture the excitement of the harbour and the atmosphere created by the arrival of the Fleet. The painting of the Minnesota in the harbour of Rio de Janeiro with the German cruiser Bremen can be compared to the photo by Brown and Schaffer of the harbour showing the same German cruiser to get some idea of the energy he was able to capture from the scene in the harbour.
From the period during which the Fleet was at Magdalena Bay, Reuterdahl produced this series of water colors showing snapshots of the Joys of Target Practice. There for almost a month the Fleet's practice was something that I do not believe he was present for and he may have completed these illustrations possibly from photos after the Fleet arrived in California. From all accounts he had been put ashore in Punta Arenas, Chile for his McClure's article and could have only witnessed these events from the cargo ship he had gained passage on while it went north to California. His images of shipboard activity shows a keen understanding of shipboard life and the events associated with the lengthy target practices that must have seemed endless during the period they were in Magdalena Bay.
Though Henry's most famous image of the Fleet cruise is an oil painting of the Fleet though the Straits of Magdalena, here is a black and white print from a publication in 1914 of a watercolor.
Regards
Sean
