John Alexander Noble (1913–1983) was an artist known for creating drawings, paintings, and lithographs of ships and harbors around New York City.

Early life

Noble was born in Paris, France, in 1913. The son of painter American

John Noble John Noble (born 20 August 1948) is an Australian actor. He is known for his roles as Denethor in the ''Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, Dr. Walter Bishop on the science fiction series ''Fringe'', Henry Parrish on the action-horror series '' ...

, he moved to the United States with his family in 1919. About 1929, he started drawing and painting. While in school he was a "permanent fixture" on the McCarren line tugs, which towed schooners in New York Harbor. In the summer, he would go to sea. In 1931, he graduated from

Friends Seminary Friends Seminary is an independent K-12 school in Manhattan within the landmarked district in the East Village. The oldest continuously coeducational school in New York City, Friends Seminary serves 794 students in Kindergarten through Grade 1 ...

and returned to France, where he studied for a year at the

University of Grenoble The Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA, French: meaning "''Grenoble Alps University''") is a public research university in Grenoble, France. Founded in 1339, it is the third largest university in France with about 60,000 students and over 3,000 resea ...

and met his wife, Susan Ames. When he returned to New York, he studied for a year at the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the fin ...

Career

From 1928 to 1945, Noble worked as a seaman on schooners and in marine salvage in New York Harbor. When he saw the Port Johnston Coal Docks on the

Kill van Kull __NOTOC__ The Kill Van Kull is a tidal strait between Staten Island, New York and Bayonne, New Jersey in the United States. It is approximately long and wide and connects Newark Bay with Upper New York Bay. The Robbins Reef Light marks the ...

, which had become a "great boneyard" of wooden sailing vessels, the sight of it "affected him for life". In 1941, he began to build a floating, "houseboat" studio there, made out of salvaged ship parts. From 1946, he worked as an artist full-time, voyaging through New York Harbor in a rowboat and creating—in oil paintings, charcoal drawings, sketches and lithographs—a "unique and exacting record" of the "characters, industries, and vessels" of the harbor.

Death

Noble died in May 1983. His wife had died earlier that year. At a memorial service at the

Snug Harbor Cultural Center Sailors' Snug Harbor, also known as Sailors Snug Harbor and informally as Snug Harbor, is a collection of architecturally significant 19th-century buildings on Staten Island, New York City. The buildings are set in an park along the Kill Van ...

three weeks later, 200 people, including Staten Island borough president

Anthony Gaeta Anthony R. Gaeta (September 8, 1927 – December 26, 1988) was a Staten Island, New York politician. A Democrat, Gaeta served as Staten Island's Borough President from 1977 to 1984. Over the course of 39 years in public service, Gaeta also held p ...

and Noble's two sons, spoke in remembrance. A fire boat shot plumes of water and tugboats sounded their horns.

Legacy

The Noble Maritime Collection was established in 1987 to preserve and interpret Noble's work. The

Staten Island Ferry The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry route operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. The ferry's single route runs through New York Harbor between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island, with ferry ...

''John A. Noble'' is named for him.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Noble, John A. 1913 births 1983 deaths Painters from New York City American marine artists 20th-century lithographers American male painters 20th-century American painters Friends Seminary alumni American expatriates in France 20th-century American male artists