Events

The Institute’s museum collections and operations manager, Paul Newman, discusses a 1785 portrait of Continental Navy officer Silas Talbot, painted by Ralph Earl.

Though he was born in Massachusetts, Silas Talbot first took up arms against the British for his adopted state of Rhode Island in 1775. As a captain in the militia, Talbot first served at the Siege of Boston before being commissioned into the Continental Army and later tasked with creating and launching a fireship against British vessels in New York Harbor in 1776. In 1778, Talbot was wounded in the defense of Fort Mifflin and subsequently commanded a floating battery that captured three British ships in 1779. In 1780, as a captain in the nascent Continental Navy, he was captured at sea, condemned to the infamous prison hulk Jersey, and transferred to Mill Prison in Great Britain. This presentation will explore Talbot’s colorful wartime career throughout the Revolution to discuss the significance of his 1785 portrait that was recently donated to our museum collections.

The Lunch Bite will be held virtually on Zoom. Registration is required. To register for the Lunch Bite, please use the link below.

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