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Notes
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This painting records an incident at Liverpool on 8 February 1881 when the pilot schooner ‘Leader’ led a fleet of vessels safely over the bar during a heavy north-westerly gale. Navigating the entrance to Liverpool was hazardous for shipping because of the numerous sandbanks, shifting sands and powerful tides of the Irish Sea. The pilots of the Port of Liverpool, with their extensive knowledge of the local sea conditions, were therefore vital for shipping entering and leaving the port. The ‘Leader’, 76 feet long and fitted with 16–17 berths, was commanded by William Jones, who can be seen in the foreground on board on the right in the heavy swell. She flies the code flags 'L, W, C' which mean ‘Follow me’, as she charts a safe passage over the treacherous bar for the ships we can see in the distance on the left.
The painting is signed and dated ‘W H Yorke 1899’. Other Liverpool artists who also commemorated the incident were Joseph Witham and Parker Greenwood. Versions by them are in the Merseyside Maritime Museum and elsewhere. Other picture titles for it usually include the phrase 'Follow me'.
Title
'Follow me': Liverpool Pilot Schooner No. 2, the 'Leader', Leading a Fleet of Vessels Over the Mersey Bar During a Gale, 8 February 1881
Date
1899
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 48.3 x W 73.7 cm
Accession number
BHC3875
Work type
Painting