William Bradford was born April 30, 1823 in the house opposite the Precinct Cemetery, west of Parting Ways in Acushnet Massachusetts.
His educaion was limited to that furnished by the district school near his birthplace. He early on manifested a passionate fondness for drawing which later developed into marvelous results.
For several years he tried mercantile pursuits as clerk and in partnership with his father and others, but these enterprises were failures. These failures were blessings in disguise for himself and the world. He then turned his whole time and attention to that for which he was by nature best fitted, and began his career as a marine artist, in which he became world renowned.
He rapidly ascended in his chosen profession and in 1861, through the generous aid of some of his enthusiastic friends he was able to gratify, an almost uncontrollable desire, to vist the Artic regions for the purpose of sketching and photographing, This he did in a 110 ton schooner from Boston. One painting made after this adventure, "Sealers Crushed in the Icebergs," was bought for $10,000 by a New York gentleman who freely offered Mr. Bradford $20,000 towards another Artic expedition he was about to undertake. He made this celebrated trip in the steamer Panther in 1869. He susequently made an elegant painting of "The Panther Off the Coast of Greenland" which Queen Vitori purchased and hung in Windsor Castle.
The magnificent products of his brush, were purchased for large sums by notable men in this country and in Europe. In London alone, $150,000 worth of them were bought. Much of his choicest work was done in his studio on the west side of the house in the Laura Keene farm overlooking the delightful Acushnet valley.
Mr. Bradford was president of the San Franciso Art Association, an associate member of the National Academy of Deisgn, and of the Century Club of New York City. He was eminent in his profession, "a heaven born genius!" , a life long friend wrote of him. "His steadfast conscience, deep reverence, unswervng trust in God, his genial sweetness, his intense lovable nature with his great gifts made him what he was."
He married December 15, 1847 Mary Swett, daughter of Nathan and Mary (Eastman) Swett of Lynn Massachusetts. They had two children who died young and a daughter Mary Eastman who lived in Fairhaven.
He died alone in his studio on April 25, 1892. His grave in Riverside Cemetery in Fairhaven Massachusetts, is marked by a granite boulder obtained at Fairhaven. Upon it wth his name, are these lines from Whittier:
"Something it has .. a flovor of the sea
And the sea's freedom .. which reminds of thee."
..Reference "History of the Town of Acushnet", published 1907
His educaion was limited to that furnished by the district school near his birthplace. He early on manifested a passionate fondness for drawing which later developed into marvelous results.
For several years he tried mercantile pursuits as clerk and in partnership with his father and others, but these enterprises were failures. These failures were blessings in disguise for himself and the world. He then turned his whole time and attention to that for which he was by nature best fitted, and began his career as a marine artist, in which he became world renowned.
He rapidly ascended in his chosen profession and in 1861, through the generous aid of some of his enthusiastic friends he was able to gratify, an almost uncontrollable desire, to vist the Artic regions for the purpose of sketching and photographing, This he did in a 110 ton schooner from Boston. One painting made after this adventure, "Sealers Crushed in the Icebergs," was bought for $10,000 by a New York gentleman who freely offered Mr. Bradford $20,000 towards another Artic expedition he was about to undertake. He made this celebrated trip in the steamer Panther in 1869. He susequently made an elegant painting of "The Panther Off the Coast of Greenland" which Queen Vitori purchased and hung in Windsor Castle.
The magnificent products of his brush, were purchased for large sums by notable men in this country and in Europe. In London alone, $150,000 worth of them were bought. Much of his choicest work was done in his studio on the west side of the house in the Laura Keene farm overlooking the delightful Acushnet valley.
Mr. Bradford was president of the San Franciso Art Association, an associate member of the National Academy of Deisgn, and of the Century Club of New York City. He was eminent in his profession, "a heaven born genius!" , a life long friend wrote of him. "His steadfast conscience, deep reverence, unswervng trust in God, his genial sweetness, his intense lovable nature with his great gifts made him what he was."
He married December 15, 1847 Mary Swett, daughter of Nathan and Mary (Eastman) Swett of Lynn Massachusetts. They had two children who died young and a daughter Mary Eastman who lived in Fairhaven.
He died alone in his studio on April 25, 1892. His grave in Riverside Cemetery in Fairhaven Massachusetts, is marked by a granite boulder obtained at Fairhaven. Upon it wth his name, are these lines from Whittier:
"Something it has .. a flovor of the sea
And the sea's freedom .. which reminds of thee."
..Reference "History of the Town of Acushnet", published 1907
William Bradford was born April 30, 1823 in the house opposite the Precinct Cemetery, west of Parting Ways in Acushnet Massachusetts.
His educaion was limited to that furnished by the district school near his birthplace. He early on manifested a passionate fondness for drawing which later developed into marvelous results.
For several years he tried mercantile pursuits as clerk and in partnership with his father and others, but these enterprises were failures. These failures were blessings in disguise for himself and the world. He then turned his whole time and attention to that for which he was by nature best fitted, and began his career as a marine artist, in which he became world renowned.
He rapidly ascended in his chosen profession and in 1861, through the generous aid of some of his enthusiastic friends he was able to gratify, an almost uncontrollable desire, to vist the Artic regions for the purpose of sketching and photographing, This he did in a 110 ton schooner from Boston. One painting made after this adventure, "Sealers Crushed in the Icebergs," was bought for $10,000 by a New York gentleman who freely offered Mr. Bradford $20,000 towards another Artic expedition he was about to undertake. He made this celebrated trip in the steamer Panther in 1869. He susequently made an elegant painting of "The Panther Off the Coast of Greenland" which Queen Vitori purchased and hung in Windsor Castle.
The magnificent products of his brush, were purchased for large sums by notable men in this country and in Europe. In London alone, $150,000 worth of them were bought. Much of his choicest work was done in his studio on the west side of the house in the Laura Keene farm overlooking the delightful Acushnet valley.
Mr. Bradford was president of the San Franciso Art Association, an associate member of the National Academy of Deisgn, and of the Century Club of New York City. He was eminent in his profession, "a heaven born genius!" , a life long friend wrote of him. "His steadfast conscience, deep reverence, unswervng trust in God, his genial sweetness, his intense lovable nature with his great gifts made him what he was."
He married December 15, 1847 Mary Swett, daughter of Nathan and Mary (Eastman) Swett of Lynn Massachusetts. They had two children who died young and a daughter Mary Eastman who lived in Fairhaven.
He died alone in his studio on April 25, 1892. His grave in Riverside Cemetery in Fairhaven Massachusetts, is marked by a granite boulder obtained at Fairhaven. Upon it wth his name, are these lines from Whittier:
"Something it has .. a flovor of the sea
And the sea's freedom .. which reminds of thee."
..Reference "History of the Town of Acushnet", published 1907
His educaion was limited to that furnished by the district school near his birthplace. He early on manifested a passionate fondness for drawing which later developed into marvelous results.
For several years he tried mercantile pursuits as clerk and in partnership with his father and others, but these enterprises were failures. These failures were blessings in disguise for himself and the world. He then turned his whole time and attention to that for which he was by nature best fitted, and began his career as a marine artist, in which he became world renowned.
He rapidly ascended in his chosen profession and in 1861, through the generous aid of some of his enthusiastic friends he was able to gratify, an almost uncontrollable desire, to vist the Artic regions for the purpose of sketching and photographing, This he did in a 110 ton schooner from Boston. One painting made after this adventure, "Sealers Crushed in the Icebergs," was bought for $10,000 by a New York gentleman who freely offered Mr. Bradford $20,000 towards another Artic expedition he was about to undertake. He made this celebrated trip in the steamer Panther in 1869. He susequently made an elegant painting of "The Panther Off the Coast of Greenland" which Queen Vitori purchased and hung in Windsor Castle.
The magnificent products of his brush, were purchased for large sums by notable men in this country and in Europe. In London alone, $150,000 worth of them were bought. Much of his choicest work was done in his studio on the west side of the house in the Laura Keene farm overlooking the delightful Acushnet valley.
Mr. Bradford was president of the San Franciso Art Association, an associate member of the National Academy of Deisgn, and of the Century Club of New York City. He was eminent in his profession, "a heaven born genius!" , a life long friend wrote of him. "His steadfast conscience, deep reverence, unswervng trust in God, his genial sweetness, his intense lovable nature with his great gifts made him what he was."
He married December 15, 1847 Mary Swett, daughter of Nathan and Mary (Eastman) Swett of Lynn Massachusetts. They had two children who died young and a daughter Mary Eastman who lived in Fairhaven.
He died alone in his studio on April 25, 1892. His grave in Riverside Cemetery in Fairhaven Massachusetts, is marked by a granite boulder obtained at Fairhaven. Upon it wth his name, are these lines from Whittier:
"Something it has .. a flovor of the sea
And the sea's freedom .. which reminds of thee."
..Reference "History of the Town of Acushnet", published 1907
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"Something it has - a flavor of the sea
And the sea's freedom - which reminds of thee."
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