Vermont's Independent Voice
Browse News
Browse Arts + Culture
Browse Food + Drink
Browse Cannabis
Browse Music
Browse On Screen
Browse Events
Browse Classifieds
Browse Personals
Published September 9, 2009 at 10:02 a.m.
The first female steamboat captain in the United States, Philomene Daniels, was vicariously honored with a painting of her boat … on the back of a chair. A theater seat, to be precise — one of the original seats in the Vergennes Opera House, circa 1897. That’s when Vermont artist Ernest Haas, renowned for his maritime scenes, adorned the seat with his painting of the steamboat Little Nellie. Daniels herself may have frequented the opera house when she wasn’t plying the waters of Lake Champlain.
Why did Haas choose such an unusual canvas? Who knows?
What we do know is that the painting is now the prize in a raffle offered by the VOH, the proceeds of which will help pay for the installation of a new sprinkler system required by the state’s fire-safety code. The Friends of the Vergennes Opera House — the nonprofit that restored and now maintains the 300-seat facility — came up with this unique way to fundraise for their beloved venue.
The painting can be viewed in a succession of downtown Vergennes store windows, as well as online. Tickets are a mere $25, and only 150 will be sold, promise the Friends. That makes for pretty good odds to own a one-of-a-kind piece of maritime — and feminist — history. Aptly, the drawing will take place on October 3 during the Vergennes Ladies’ Rally. The timed road rally exclusively for female drivers of old or new cars or motorcycles is the VOH’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Philomene would no doubt be proud.
Raffle for Ernest Haas Painting
Tickets for $25 are available at the Vergennes Opera House and at Classic Stitching on Main Street. For more info and to view the painting, click here. The winner does not need to be present at the drawing on October 3.
More By This Author
About The Author
Pamela Polston
Bio:
Pamela Polston is a cofounder and the Art Editor of Seven Days. In 2015, she was inducted into the New England Newspaper Hall of Fame.
Pamela Polston is a cofounder and the Art Editor of Seven Days. In 2015, she was inducted into the New England Newspaper Hall of Fame.
Speaking of...
-
Q&A: Catching Up With the Champlain Valley Quilt Guild
Apr 10, 2024 -
Video: The Champlain Valley Quilt Guild Prepares for Its Biennial Quilt Show
Apr 4, 2024 -
Q&A: Digging Into the Remnants of the Ravine That Divided Burlington
Mar 27, 2024 -
Video: Digging Into the Ravine That Divided Burlington in the 1800s
Mar 21, 2024 -
Q&A: Meet a Family in Waterbury That Embraces Halloween Year-Round
Feb 14, 2024 - More »
Comments
Comments are closed.
From 2014-2020, Seven Days allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we've appreciated the suggestions and insights, right now Seven Days is prioritizing our core mission — producing high-quality, responsible local journalism — over moderating online debates between readers.
To criticize, correct or praise our reporting, please send us a letter to the editor or send us a tip. We’ll check it out and report the results.
Online comments may return when we have better tech tools for managing them. Thanks for reading.
