Bill Abbott is best known for his syndicated cartoon, "Spectickles", but also produces marine and maritime illustrations. Of particular interest is the maritime history of the Great Lakes and in particular, the rich and abundant maritime traditions of Buffalo Harbor in Buffalo, New York at the eastern-most end of Lake Erie. His work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, books, websites, and most forms of traditional media around the world. His humorous art has been licensed for greeting cards, calendars - even figurines. Framed and unframed prints you see here on this site are made available by the good people at Fine Art America, and are easily navigated to by clicking on the images or buttons. In addition, other high quality graphic products are for sale. I hope you enjoy and feel free to send me an email.
Using the original plan as a guide, the brig Maria saw service sailing the waters of Lake Champlain in 1776. Created in the Admiralty or dockyard style, displaying a stylized version of her internal framing.
“Lakes” class freighter, “Lake Fernando” built in Buffalo, New York in 1918. In the image she’s passing the Buffalo Lighthouse. For prints and products featuring this maritime painting, “Lake Fernando Returns to Buffalo”, click the button below.
The Golden Era of maritime history for Buffalo Harbor was the first decades of the Twentieth Century, as featured in this painting of the tugboat “Alabama” plying her way through the ice near the Buffalo Lighthouse around 1920. For prints and products featuring this marine painting, click the button below.
The Buffalo fireboat Edward M. Cotter idling near the iconic Buffalo Lighthouse. Click the button below for prints and products featuring the marine painting of the Edward M. Cotter fireboat.
The Michigan Avenue Jackknife Bridge spanned over the busy Buffalo River from 1897 to 1929 and was a beautiful example of the Victorian-era marriage of the functional with the aesthetically pleasing. Click the button below for prints and products featuring the painting of the Michigan Avenue Jackknife Bridge.
There’s something fascinating and a bit romantic about the tramp steamers that plied their way across the oceans of the world in search of cargo. I can this painting, “Tramp in Paradise”. Click the button below to purchase prints of this image.
Another of my humorous illustrations, this time of legendary writer Edgar Allen Poe. For prints and products featuring, “Poe Pity” click the button below.