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John Ericsson (1803–1889)


Before he came to the United States in 1839, the Swedish-born engineer and inventor John Ericsson was known for his development of the screw propeller, which revolutionized navigation. He achieved fame during the Civil War when he designed the ironclad warship Monitor, which demonstrated its merit in its encounter with the Confederate ironclad Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimack) in 1862. A model of this “tin can on a raft” appears in the portrait.

Ericsson, always working alone, had previously perfected engines for many purposes, including fire engines and a steam locomotive. He later developed the forerunner of the modern naval destroyer.


Avid Frederick Nyholm (1866–1927)
Oil on canvas, 1912
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Transfer from the Smithsonian American Art Museum; gift of the Swedish American Republican League of Illinois to the Smithsonian Institution, 1912

 

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