Painting, Packet Ship <I>Ontario</I>
From the collection of National Museum of American History. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
Grinnell, Minturn & Company owned two ships named <I>Ontario</I>. Benjamin Minturn also owned a third ship named <I>Ontario</I> with John T. Champlin. The ship featured in the painting is most likely <I>Ontario</I> (II). It was built in New Castle, Maine for Grinnell, Minturn & Company in 1854, measuring 202 feet in length, 40 feet 3 inches in beam, 20 feet in depth of hold, and 1,501 tons. The ship entered the Blue Swallowtail Line service in 1854, sailing regularly from New York to Liverpool until 1858. From 1858 to 1863 it conducted regular service from New York to London for the Red Swallowtail Line. Both the Blue Swallowtail Line and Red Swallowtail Line were owned by Grinnell, Minturn & Company. After 1863 the ship did not sail for any regular service but made trips between New York and Europe when needed. The company was active until about 1880.
National Museum of American History’s own description
