Shannon Stirnweis (B. 1931) "Army and Camels" Signed lower left. Original Oil and Acrylic painting on Board.
Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
This painting originally appeared in the Fleetwood Trails West Collection of Fine Art Prints as "The Camel Corps" published in 1983.
With the discovery of gold in California, thousands of easterners set off to make the trip westward. But the transcontinental journey was long, arduous and dangerous -- and the need for an overland route was crucial. So the government sent soldiers and other military personnel to establish roads and protective military posts. However, the rugged, bone-dry deserts were devastating obstacles to the horses and mules the soldiers needed for overland travel. The animals' insatiable need for water, and their inability to carry heavy loads made the military look to another beast of burden that could hold up under the harsh conditions. One insightful man, Jefferson Davis, saw many of the difficulties presented by western deserts could be overcome with the use of camels ... animals already proven in deserts of the Far East. He convinced the United Staes govenment to procure a number of the beasts to see if they could provide the rugged and dependable transportation the military needed. By late 1856, thirty-three fine camesl were shipped from the Far East to Indianola, Texas, where the army reluctantly received the animals. At first, the soldiers despised the camels because of their extremely foul smell and unpredicatable temper. However, after the animals proved themselves as remarkably superior transportation over the vast, waterless deserts, the soldiers were proud to be a part of America's only Camel Corps.
Image Size: 18 x 20.75 in.
Overall Size: 20 x 22.75 in.
Unframed. (B07838)
Condition
- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.
- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via wire transfer or cashier’s check, no other forms of payment will be accepted.
- All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.
- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.
- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com
- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through 6 online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.
- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be out bid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.