Charles J Lundgren (New York, Connecticut, 1911 - 1988) "Tovarisch" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the USSR 15k Tovarisch stamp issued September 18, 1981. Through the ages, man with his ingenuity and his courage has striven to fashion new and better sailing ships in order to conquer the vast unknowns of the sea. The majestic Tovarisch is in itself one of the finest tributes ever to man's centuries-old shipbuilding achievements. This sail-clad beauty, with long, graceful lines and three tall masts, was built in 1933 in Hamburg, Germany by Blahm and Voss as a training vessel for the German Navy. A heavily canvassed bark of 226 feet and 1,309 tons, she was christened the Gorch Fock and designed to reach and maintain speeds of up to 16 knots with over 6,100 square feet of sail. At the close of World War II she was sunk by Nazi Germany near Swinemunde; though shortly thereafter, she was raised and claimed as war reparation by the Soviet Union. In 1951 after extensive repairs and refitting, she resumed her voyages on the high seas, only this time with future Soviet officers on board and with a new name ... the Tovarisch(Russian for "Comrade"). Many of today's Soviet sea captains began as fledgling cadets aboard this famous sailing ship. Thus, in keeping with grand tradition, the mighty Tovarisch continues to ply the waves and train new generations of young cadets in the ways of the sea for the Soviet Merchant Marine. Image Size: 19.25 x 22 in. Overall Size: 25 x 27 in. Unframed. (B07184)