A View of Charleston, South Carolina, c. 1760s This eighteenth-century oil painting by English artist Thomas Mellish offers a view of Charleston harbor c. 1760s. A ship flying an English flag looms in the foreground. The other ships and small boats along with the substantial buildings surrounding the harbor reflect Charleston’s stature as one of the main commercial centers of the North American colonies.

Ferens Art Gallery, Hull Museums, UK/Bridgeman Images