Charles H. Gifford (1839-1904)
A marine artist, Gifford lived and worked in a house he had built at 7 Lafayette Street in 1875. Inspired by a New Bedford show of works by Albert Bierstadt, he painted at a young age, but was discouraged from pursuing art as a career by his parents. He worked as a carpenter and a shoemaker before enlisting in the Civil War. In 1865, after selling a painting of Palmer’s Island for $10, Gifford decided to paint for a living. He opened a studio in New Bedford and his career developed. He sold small oil and watercolor paintings of New England waterfront scenes. In 1871 and 1872, Gifford worked in New York, refining his painting technique. In 1897 he added a tower to the rear of his Lafayette Street home and used its second floor as his studio. Today examples of his work are in several local collections.
