bronze from the Sea

For  me  Bronzes from the Sea  all started  in 1976 as an armada of Tall Ships would run and tack up the East Coast of  the United States of America, randezvousing for a celebratory parade up the Hudson River. It was The Bicentennial, July 4th 1976, the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of our Nation.

As part of the festivities tens- of-thousands, of spectators,  watched in awe, this amazing fleet of Tall Ships.  An armada  hadn't been present, in such numbers, since the late 1800's.   This was a fantastic day, in our Nations history and for everyone present, proudly taking in the ships maneuvering up and down the great Hudson. White sails cut  silhouettes against the Manhattan Skyline;- it was simply magical.

I had made a proposal to the Norwegian Information Service, to sail on board, their cadet training vessel,Christian Radich, a full-rigged ship with the notion of creating a new series, Bronzes from the Sea.  I had maritime artwork, from being at sea, while in the Navy and had actually visited Christian Radich when she docked in New York, in conjunction with the debut of the Louis de Richmond,  Windjammer film in 1958. The Norwegian Cadet Ship had visited foreign ports and recently crossed the Atlantic.

 This was a wonderful family event which I always cherished with my parents.

With an approved project plan by the Norwegian Information Service, my proposal was forwarded to the Captain of the  ​Christian Radich which had just left Bermuda and the Tall Ship Race.

 CaptainThorsen's approval came through about a week after the New York Operation Sail event and just a short time before we were invited to sail out of Boston Harbor. I would be bringing two friends to assist me, Jim Miskowski, who would keep a Log and Drew Degrado, my photographer. What was to come, was an incredible seagoing experience. We were bound for the Saint Laurence Seaway and Montreal. 

Returning home I began creating the  Bronzes from the Sea series. Premier Exhibitions were held the following year at Rockefeller Center, on Fifth Avenue, in the windows of Scandinavian Airlines. A Page 2 article about the exhibit in Norway's VG Verdens Gang Newspaper, by Rolf Lovestrom led to an invitation to exhibit, during Operation Sail 1978 in Oslo, Norway. with David-Andersen A/S, the well known silver shop on Karl Johns Gt. in downtown Oslo. This exhibit coincided with Operation Sail 1978.  The International Tall Ship Race was held in the Baltic concluding at Oslo' Harbor.

.At the closing ceremonies  At the Helm was presented  by HM King Olav V of  Norway to the Captain and Crew of Christian Radich as the City of Oslo Award.

There is much more to the Bronzes from the Sea story which may interest you, which I will pick-up throughout my new Web Site commemorating our 43th Anniversary.

Thanks for visiting.
A pleasure to have you aboard.
Bill Osmundsen