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This 1845 lithographic view,view of New Bedford. From the Fort near Fairhaven, is based on a painting by Fitz Hugh Lane.

The view was produced as part of Conant’s series of city views, which included Baltimore, Norwich, and several Massachusetts towns. The lithograph was printed by Lane & Scott, a firm responsible for six of the eight views in Conant’s series. This particular piece showcases New Bedford’s bustling harbor, offering a detailed and dynamic portrayal of the preeminent American whaling port of the mid-19th century. 

The view is taken from Fairhaven, on the eastern shore of the Acushnet River, looking westward across the harbor toward New Bedford. The view includes a grassy foreground, where a bull rests near a split-rail fence, and several figures engage in clamming near the water’s edge. Two men, leaning against the fence, observe the activity in the harbor, emphasizing the human presence and interaction with the maritime world. The horizon is filled with the masts and rooftops of New Bedford, where church spires and industrial buildings rise above the densely packed waterfront. 

The true focus of the image is the busy harbor, filled with a variety of sailing vessels and steamships. At the center, the paddle steamer "Massachusetts", built in 1842 for the Nantucket Steamboat Company. Surrounding it are sloops, schooners, and larger whaling ships, all engaged in the coastal and transatlantic trade.

A particular visual emphasis is placed on the whaling industry, which was at its peak during this period. New Bedford had surpassed Nantucket as the foremost whaling hub in America by the 1840s. In the foreground, a topsail schooner is seen aground, while a forest of masts lines the city’s waterfront, indicating the sheer number of whaling ships in port. These vessels were either preparing for multi-year voyages to hunt whales in the Pacific and Atlantic or unloading barrels of whale oil, the industry’s primary commodity.  

This lithograph serves as an important visual document of New Bedford at the height of its whaling prosperity. It captures a moment of transition, showcasing the traditional whaling industry alongside the emerging steamship technology.