Edward James arrived in Bermuda in 1861 and stayed until his death in 1877. His work encompasses a broad spectrum of 19th century life in Bermuda, documenting historic news events such as the opening of the causeway and the American Civil War shipping. James also gave painting classes and there is evidence that he collaborated with Bermudian photographer John Athill Frith.
In this work, Edward James depicts the view of St. George’s Harbour from St. David’s Island. On the bottom strip, James labels the visible features – The Town of St. George, the forts and some of the islands of St. George’s Harbour – in line with their position in the drawing. On the pathway on the bottom left, the artist’s name and the date of the drawing are discreetly placed.