Name/Title
CC1 and CC2 , Canada’s First Submarines off Trial Island, August 5, 1914Entry/Object ID
2017.02.06Description
Painting
This painting depicts CC1and CC2, Canada's first submarines, off Trial Island, B.C., August 5, 1914. The Trial Islands are a group of islands located off the south-eastern tip of Vancouver Island. The two submarines are dramatically shown rising out of the water in dark seas, with a vivid sunrise/sunset and a ship, maybe the HMCS Rainbow, a protected cruiser, shown in the background.Artwork Details
Medium
Oil on panelSubject Place
Region
Pacific NorthwestContinent
North AmericaContext
This painting commemorates the founding of the Royal Canadian Navy's Submarine Service that began with a meeting at the Union Club of British Columbia with B.C. Premier Sir Richard McBride and others, on July 29, 1914, six days before the declaration of World War I. Originally named Iquique and Antofagasta, the two submarines were built in Seattle for the Chilean government. However, the Chilean deal fell through and the submarines were purchased by the B.C. premier. The Dominion government ratified the purchase and on August 6, 1914 the two boats were commissioned as CC1 and CC2 because of their resemblance to the British "C" class submarines.
These two submarines, together with HMCS Rainbow, were the Canadian warships defending the west coast of Canada between 1914 and 1917. After this three-year period CC1 and CC2 were ordered to Europe, and they were the first warships ever to transit the Panama Canal under the White Ensign. Deemed unfit for a transatlantic crossing, they remained at Halifax until sold for scrap in 1920. The Rainbow was also sold for scrap the same year.Made/Created
Artist Information
Artist
John Malcolm Horton, OBCRole
PainterDate made
Mar 2014Time Period
21st CenturyNotes
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Born in London, England, John Malcolm Horton is an acclaimed Canadian marine painter, lifetime marine volunteer and a philanthropist supported by his art. He attended the Poole & Bournemouth Schools of Art, served in the Royal Navy and worked in the shop fitting trade, notably with Frederick Sage & Co. of London, engaged as a designer and architectural artist. In 1966, immigrated to Vancouver and set up his architectural rendering practice. Along with this work he began to develop his art portfolio depicting tugs, fishing boats, freighters and naval vessels, coastal history and its waters.
Horton’s insistence on accurate detail is legendary including a vessel’s detail as well as the background, such that his paintings reflect an historical story. His paintings are showcased in collections across Canada and beyond and he has done commemorative coin designs for the Canadian Mint. His work has also been exhibited many times by the Royal Society of Marine Artists. He is a member of the Canadian Society of Marine Artists, the Federation of Canadian Artists, and The Honourable Company of Master Mariners of Canada. In 2002 he accepted the Canadian government’s invitation to record the nation’s navy in action against terrorism in the Arabian Gulf.
For further information see -
Julie H. Ferguson, "Through a Canadian Periscope: The Story of the Canadian Submarine Service (2014), and Keith Valentine, “John Horton; The Mariner Artist” (2016). Both available in the UCBC Library.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
Signature, InscriptionLocation
Signed lower right: John M. HortonTranscription
Inscription verso board in felt-tipped pen:
1346
CANADA'S FIRST SUBMARINE (1914)
© John M. Horton CSMA-FCA
March 2014Dimensions
Dimension Description
Visible imageHeight
44.5 cmWidth
60 cmAcquisition
Acquisition Method
PurchaseDate
2016Notes
Plaque:
Submarines CC1 & CC2 off Trial Island August 5, 1914
Oil Painting by John M. Horton CSMA, FCA
Collection of the Union Club of British Columbia
Acquired through the generosity of the artist and the Maritime Museum of British Columbia with funds raised by subscription of the membership to commemorate the founding of the Canadian Submarine Service within the walls of this club in 1914.Relationships
Related Entries
Notes
By John Malcolm Horton:
2017.02.06 CC1 and CC2 , Canada’s First Submarines off Trial Island, August 5, 1914
2022.04.03 The Franklin Expedition's HMS Erebus and Terror
By Harold Mortimer-Lamb:
2015.04.05 Portrait of Sir Richard McBride
