Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library

This nautical painting, currently on view at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, features a two-masted schooner. The ship flies an American flag, a white swallowtail pennant with a red border bearing the name “O. M. PETTIT,” and a blue and white pennant with Masonic square and compasses. At the bottom of the painting is an inscription: “Sch. Oliver M. Pettit of Boston off North Point J.R. Clark Master J.H. Hall Artist Baltimore.”

The O. M. Pettit was a coasting schooner, a small, fast ship that primarily carried goods between locations along the coast. Built in 1854, the ship was active from 1855 to 1867. During this time, she had a few different captains, most notably the man mentioned in the inscription and his brother.

Read more about the O. M. Pettit and her Masonic captains on our blog at https://bit.ly/4euOfNa, and see the painting in person during the museum's Open Saturday on June 27th!