Sea Captains Carousing Surinam

[Matusalem]

Yes, I know...you were expecting a more ....'exciting'...topic BUT ....I found an interesting painting that has a wee little bit of relevance, though perhaps not so close to the 1680-1720 era but think of it as the kids of said era. ...still lolling somewhere in the Caribbean.

Sea Captains Carousing In Surinam by John Greenwood 1755

[Red Sea Trade]

I have always loved this painting. The details contained are amazing (especially the gentleman vomiting into another's pocket) and it is a very colorful scene.

Best of all, it was used by Winterthur Museum as the setting for one of their period rooms. I was there on a Christmas tour about 20 years ago, and one of the people in my group shouted out "They did this room to look like "Sea Captains Carousing In Suriname"!"

The tour guide was suitably impressed.

[Matusalem]

O such a day!

I wanted to find out more about New Providence in the Bahamas because of it's significance during the Golden Age of Piracy, and as I scrolled down the wikipedia site, it mentioned Esek Hopkins, which then led me to the painting and mentioned that the entire table is Rhode Isanders

That being said, Esek Hopkins was a privateer captain (please note the uniform) during the F&I war, which explains why they were in Suriname in 1755, and brother Stephen Hopkins, owner of this house in R.I. (which, by accident I walked by but fortunately I took these photos). The house has actually moved about 150 ft up the hill from it;'s original location, same street but on the other end of the block facing Benefit St..This is one of those actual "Washington slept here" locations :

[pyrateleather]

This is the first I have seen this painting but how hillarious! A man vomiting while about to be burned in the bum by a candle?? So many interesting characters... The proportions are a little strange.

Apparently, It's not too far from me; in St. Louis, I'll have to pay it a visit.

[Matusalem]

This is the first I have seen this painting but how hillarious! A man vomiting while about to be burned in the bum by a candle?? So many interesting characters... The proportions are a little strange

I concluded the painting was done to specifically entertain the people who happen to be depicted, and not just some "random" painting of Sea Captains in Suriname. I don't know who the guy vomiting while his arse is alight, but the man in the chair with the vomit in his pockets is Joseph Wanton.

It is iportant to point out that these guys in the painting are rich merchantmen and have gained decent fortune from sea ventures enough to gain political power, thus the governorships of Joseph Wanton, and his brother Gideon (see the green house below). Newport has always been one of the top pirate ports in North America primarily because the populace & local officials were so friendly to protect them. Money & fortune, as usual, has something to do with it. Kidd, bellamy & tew were quite comfortable here. My only interest in putting up these pictures is not to promote myself (as I am unimportant), but to make the whole pyracy thing as tangible and real as possible.

[Matusalem]

Another Wanton house, the 1697-built Wanton-Lymon-Hazard house. Those Wantons, they make a fortune being sea merchants. You want GAOP era houses in a pirate seaport? This is it.