-Steamboat- still bank c. 1912 - 1929

This cast iron ‘Steamboat - still bank’ was made by the A.C. Williams Company, who were working at the end of the 19th century and into the 20th. The first thing I notice is the object's scale and how it invites you to pick it up. I can imagine holding it in my hands. As a painter, I love the way the steamboat’s surface would feel, cool and slightly rough. When I look closely, I can see it’s got multiple colors, like it’s been through many seasons. Brown and gold are the dominant tones but there are touches of red around the top of the smokestacks like fresh memories. Someone knew when to stop, when to let the surface accumulate its own history. It makes you wonder who this artist was, what else did they make and where are their other objects now? Like painters, manufacturers often work anonymously within a commercial context. The work is not about a single person’s vision, but a collective pursuit of something beyond the individual. Ultimately, this steamboat still bank is a reminder that creativity often emerges through collaboration and adaptation, inspiring the endless possibilities of artistic expression.