Thompson / Harris / Andromeda

Pen-and-ink sketch, with grey wash, of two naval officers playing backgammon on board the ‘Andromeda’. Dialogue between the two men is inscribed on the image. The man on the left says, ‘What a noble throw Doctor’, while his companion exclaims, ‘Sixes by Jupiter’. A further inscription identifies the two men as ‘Thompson’ (on the left) and ‘Harris’ (on the right). The drawing is across two pieces of paper.

The sketch was made by Aiskew Paffard Hollis (1764–1844), who served as a lieutenant in the ‘Andromeda’ in 1790–93. It is part of an album containing fifty-seven drawings (PAH4886–PAH4943) created by Hollis while serving in ‘Andromeda’ and in other ships, including ‘Pegase’ in 1785–90 and ‘Queen’ in 1793–96. The album includes portraits of Hollis’s shipmates, often with humorous captions, as well as scenes of everyday life ashore and afloat.