TidesNet—Online Collections Entry Detail

DescriptionA very large (60” x 96”) acrylic on board painting of the American Can plant in Lubec, Maine by artist Tim Gaydos. It is one of a number of paintings that Gaydos did of this can plant, but this one is by far his largest and most dramatic one. The can plant was established in Lubec in 1908 by the American Can Company of New Jersey. It was one of two can plants that the company established in this region that year to provide manufactured cans for the thriving sardine industry here. The other was in Eastport, Maine. Prior to 1908, cans were made in the individual sardine factories in the region. The can plant in Lubec operated until 1972 and was torn down in 1995. This painting dates to just before the can plant was torn down. The institute, on first seeing the painting, felt that it was not only a great painting, but was emblematic of the rise and decline of the sardine industry in this region. There is now very little physical evidence here of this once large industry. The institute felt that the painting was too important to not be in the institute’s collection and institute was able to reach an agreement with the artist to secure the painting. Born and raised in New York City, Gaydos long lived in Patterson, New Jersey and summered for many years in Lubec where he maintained a home. While he painted many landscape and streetscape scenes throughout this region, Gaydos also did a number of paintings of remaining industrial buildings and he is one of the very few artists who have done this. The institute also has a painting by Gaydos of Jackson’s Wharf at Wilson’s Beach on Campobello Island, New Brunswick done before this landmark wharf complex was torn down. Artist: Tim Gaydos Medium: Acrylic on board Classification: Paintings Old Accession Number: 62