William Formby Halsall was a marine painter born in Kirkdale

Kirkdale

Kirkdale is the name of several places in the United Kingdom:*Kirkdale, Merseyside, an area of Liverpool, England**Kirkdale **Kirkdale *Kirkdale, North Yorkshire, England...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. He lived at Provincetown, Massachusetts

Provincetown, Massachusetts

Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2007 population of 3,174...

 and died as a US citizen in 1919.

Marine life & Fresco painting

Halsall was educated in Boston, Massachusetts and worked as a sailor for seven years from 1852 to 1859. In 1860, he had begun to study fresco painting but due to the outbreak of the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, he enlisted in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

. He resumed his fresco study after two years of service.

Marine painting

In 1862, Halsall changed to marine painting and studied at the Lowell Institute

Lowell Institute

The Lowell Institute is an educational foundation in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., providing for free public lectures, and endowed by the bequest of $250,000 left by John Lowell, Jr., who died in 1836. Under the terms of his will 10% of the net income was to be added to the principal, which in...

 in Boston until 1870. Halsall was also a founding member of the Provincetown Art Association

Provincetown Art Association and Museum

The Provincetown Art Association and Museum is located at 460 Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts. It is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is the most attended art museum on Cape Cod. The museum's permanent collection includes over 2,500 objects, a number which...

in 1914.