* Hubert Coop [1872-1953]- East coast hay barges u

Lot description

* Hubert Coop [1872-1953]- East coast hay barges unloading on the Thames, St Paul's in the distance:- signed watercolour 37 x 52cm. * Notes. Thames barges played an important part in life along the river and in Essex by making use of the many creeks and inlets to collect produce from the farms and take it to markets and into the City. The barges were flat bottomed wooden craft to ensure that they could navigate the shallow inlets by sailing in as little as three feet of water and then lying on the mud without tilting. The distinctive barge rigging incorporates a large topsail, a mainsail and foresail on two masts. The rusty red colour is due to the waterproofing traditionally used on these sails. A regular cargo was hay and straw from the Essex countryside to service the thousands of horses and stables in London. Although the cargo was relatively light, it was bulky and it was common to see barges loaded with twelve feet of hay on the decks with the helmsman at the wheel totally blind relying on information from a crewman perched on top of the hay.