Rare Painting of Charlotte Amalie Harbor Up for Sale ~ 1927
Beautiful Painting by Caroc
Up for sale, this week is a very special work of art created by the artist, Caroc in 1929.
It is a one of kind creation that was purchased by the West Indies Corporation and donated to the East Asiatic Company to honor the anniversary of its founding, March 27, 1897.
Consul Hans Jorgen Christiansen
The gift was presented for the company’s 50th anniversary in 1947.
It was purchased by Consul Hans Jorgen Christensen who later donated it to the Klubben 2016, which has placed it on the market.
The East Asiatic Company
The East Asiatic Company was one of the most important shipping enterprises in the world.
Pioneers of Motor-Driven Vessels
But the enterprise which attracted universal attention and which gave the company a conspicuous place in the history of shipping was its initiative in using diesel oil fuel for their vessels.
M/S Selandia
One of the first such ships was the M/S Selandia which met with great excitement on her very early voyages.
She was the pride of the Danish company when built in 1912.
When she was launched, she opened a new epoch in the history of shipping.
Like her sister ship, the M/S Malakka, she was the most advanced ocean-going diesel motorship in her time.
Although not the first diesel-powered ship, she was the first to make them seem “economically viable” as an alternative to the old coal-fired engines.
Brief History of St. Thomas
This brief overview of the islands accompanies the painting.
Charlotte Amalie, located on the island of St. Thomas, is the capital and the largest city of the United States Virgin Islands, founded in 1666 as Taphus (meaning “beer house” or “beer hall).
Queen Charlotte Amalie
In 1691, the town was renamed to Amalienborg (in English Charlotte Amalie) after Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel (1650–1714), queen consort to King Christian V of Denmark-Norway.
It has a deep-water harbor that was once a haven for pirates and is now one of the busiest ports of call for cruise ships in the Caribbean, with about 1.5 million cruise ship passengers landing there in 2004.
Protected by Hassel Island, the harbor has docking and fueling facilities, machine shops, and shipyards and was a US submarine base until 1966.
In 2010, the city had a population of 18,481, which makes it the largest city in the Virgin Islands Archipelago.
Hundreds of ferries and yachts visit the town each week, and at times, the population more than doubles.
The city is known for its Danish colonial architecture, building structure and history, and a dozen streets and places throughout the city have Danish names.
Historical Buildings
Charlotte Amalie has buildings of historical importance including the St. Thomas Synagogue, the second-oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere, and Frederick Lutheran Church, the oldest Lutheran church in the Western Hemisphere.
Pirate History
The town has a long history of pirates, especially stories of Bluebeard and Blackbeard (Edward Teach).
In the 17th century, the Danes built both Blackbeard’s Castle and Bluebeard’s Castle, both attributed to the pirates.
