Published in 1884 this image is number 15 of what was a portfolio of chromolithographs, "American Yachts Their Clubs and Races" by renowned maritime artist Frederick S. Cozzens, made from his original works in watercolor. This comes unframed but matted, ready to be framed or added to a collection from the series.
The portfolio was originally accompanied by a companion text by U.S. Navy Lieutenant James Douglas Jerrold Kelley that gave background, context and explanation of each plate. Here is an excerpt of Lt. Kelley's entry on this image:
"Mr Cozzens has given us in this plate an excellent picture of the two sturdy yachts Norseman and Atalanta lying to off those shoals which are so dangerous both to the mariners approaching our coast and to the unfortunate fishermen who are yearly offered up as a dreadful tribute to the fury of the Georges. These shoals are formed by a dangerous sand ridge which is just one hundred miles from Cape Cod; the shoalest part is near the eastern end and in 1821 when surveyed by Mr Blunt's party this is said to have had as little as three feet of water upon it. Later expeditions however have not verified the statement but it is probable that the bottom shifts continually for reliable old fishermen report that at certain seasons it is bare while both Wilkes and Piatt of our Navy found nowhere less than twelve feet of water. A nasty dangerous sea is kicked up on these shoals whenever the weather is bad and if one is caught off it in a gale every precaution should be taken not that good large sea boats like the yachts given in the plate are liable to suffer nor even staunch fishing vessels but smaller craft with insufficient crews and equipment and particularly the dories used in fishing need expect no mercy."
