Antique Mid 19th Century HMS Ariadne Pen & Ink Draughtman’s Sketch by E. Croad

This is an interesting, and likely very scarce mid 19th century draughtsman’s pen and ink drawing of HMS Ariadne. The technical drawing features a side profile view of the vessel, complete with its naval ensign and royal standard. Underneath the vessel is the description of its armaments and the power of the screw steam engine. The launch date of Ariadne follows, with this being on 4th June 1859 at the Deptford Yard, and then the ship’s dimensions. To the bottom left is artist’s / draughtsman’s signature of ‘Edwd Croad’. Edward Allen Boyd Croad’s work is known, with examples being held by the Royal Museums Greenwich. These are noted as being ‘Draughtsman’s of Ordnance and Ships’ equipment 1860, only a year after the Ariadne sketch was completed. Further research reveals that Edward Croad was born in May 1826 in Alverstoke, Hampshire, the son of Richard and Sarah Croad. He seems to have followed in his father’s footsteps in his career, as his marriage record notes that his father was a ‘naval measurer’. Various census returns through the 19th show his naval related career progression, with one noting that he was a ‘naval draughtsman’, and a later census stating that he was a ‘Retired 1st class inspector of ships’. Edward died in March 1914 at the age of 87. The sketch is nicely framed an glazed and ready to hang. At the time of listing I cannot find another example of his work for sale, and I’d be confident in saying that the item is likely to be very scarce.m, if not a rarity. The condition is generally very good. There’s a tiny amount of fading to the handwritten wording, but this is still more than legible. There’s a tiny clip to the beaded area of the frame on the left hand side, but this does not detract from the overall look of the piece.