April 29, 2026

One Night Only: Rare Lt. John Blake Dale Sketches and Journal Unveiled at USS Constitution Museum

Charlestown, MA (April 29, 2026) —The USS Constitution Museum will host Art of the 1800s Travel Log – Collection Open House on Thursday, May 7, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the USS Constitution Museum in the Charlestown Navy Yard. The ticketed public event will celebrate the Museum’s newly acquired collection of 34 sketches by Lieutenant John Blake Dale, an officer and artist aboard USS Constitution during the ship’s 1844 to 1846 voyage around the world. Members of the press are invited to attend for coverage.

Many people know USS Constitution for its War of 1812 fame, but fewer know that decades later the ship embarked on a two-year circumnavigation under the command of Captain John “Mad Jack” Percival. During that voyage, Dale created a vivid visual record of the ports, people, landscapes, and encounters the ship experienced across Southeast Asia and China. The newly acquired collection includes scenes from Vietnam, Macao, Canton, and the South China Sea, offering a rare eyewitness view of a global chapter in USS Constitution’s history.

The event will offer the public a special chance to explore this story through both art and firsthand writing. In a special collaboration with American Ancestors®, Dale’s journal from the American Ancestors collection will also be on view. Seen together, the sketches and journal provide a rare opportunity to encounter the voyage through Dale’s own eyes, with his images and words adding unusual depth and immediacy to the story. American Ancestors describes itself as a national nonprofit center for family history, heritage, and culture based in Boston.

“Lt. Dale’s journal documents a global chapter of USS Constitution’s history, and of the places and peoples it reached. We are proud to join the USS Constitution Museum in sharing it alongside his sketches,” said Ryan J. Woods, President & CEO of American Ancestors.

Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1814, Dale joined the Navy as a midshipman in 1829 and later served as one of three artists on the U.S. Exploring Expedition led by Charles Wilkes. Before joining USS Constitution, he worked at the U.S. Office of Coast Survey. A trained observer as well as a talented artist, Dale was uniquely positioned to document the journey, leaving behind a journal and a vast collection of sketches connected to his travels.

“Lt. John Blake Dale’s sketches offer a rare and deeply human view of USS Constitution’s voyage around the world,” said Jeff Draeger, President & CEO of the Museum. “Together with his journal, they help bring this remarkable chapter of the ship’s history to life in a way that is visual, personal, and immediate.”

Guests will enjoy light hors d’oeuvres and drinks in an open-house setting, with a gallery reception and collections viewing in the adjacent Theater. Remarks will be offered by Robert J. Allison, PhD, historian, author, and chair of Revolution 250.

This event is expected to draw strong interest from history enthusiasts, museumgoers, art lovers, and members of the Boston community. Tickets are $40. For more information and tickets please visit https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/openhouse/