A forgotten 1913 painting by a U.S. Navy petty officer will be unveiled Nov. 1 at the Newport Elks Lodge after a six-month restoration brought the century-old artwork back to life.
“The Elk,” painted by Chief Petty Officer Peter Lars Schiot, was discovered in an upstairs storage closet at the lodge by members David Marlowe and Dr. Murray C. Norcross Jr. during an inspection of historic items. The 40-by-30-inch canvas was heavily damaged, with soot buildup, flaking paint, puncture holes and two large tears.
The unveiling ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. at the lodge, 141 Pelham Street. Members of Schiot’s family, including great-granddaughter Molly Schiot, an author and television director from Los Angeles, will travel from across the country to attend.
Schiot, born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1873, immigrated to the United States and joined the Navy in 1888. He served on the USS Maine, leaving just one month before the ship exploded in Havana Harbor in 1898, triggering the Spanish-American War. He later saw combat aboard the USS Brooklyn.
Stationed at the Naval Training Station in Newport from 1903 to 1913, Schiot married Martha Hudson and raised six children in the city’s Fifth Ward. Research by Norcross revealed Schiot was a member of Newport Elks Lodge #104, confirmed through a 1905 photograph showing Navy sailors posing with the lodge’s banner.
The painting was restored by Trefler’s Art Restoration Company in Needham Heights, Massachusetts. Elda Mahoney funded the restoration in memory of her late husband, Richie, an 18-year lodge member who collected pocket watches. The painting depicts an elk with a clock, making it a fitting tribute, she said.
The artwork will be permanently displayed over the fireplace mantel in the lodge’s main foyer following the ceremony. A reception will follow in the Honor Room.
Elks members must RSVP by Oct. 24 to annnorcross.84@gmail.com. Members of the public can contact Norcross at murraynorcross.84@gmail.com to attend.
Schiot retired from the Navy after 30 years of service and continued painting until his death in 1936. Several of his works are in the U.S. Navy Art Collection at the Washington Navy Yard.