Paul Stubing indicated that this is a boat launching. Southwest Harbor is painted in bold letters on the vessel's stern. The name Elva Beal is outlined above her port of call but not yet painted over. There is an Amoco sign, as well as an Esso sign in the background. There are people lined up on the pier watching. The vehicles in the background look to be late 40's-early 50's.
Bakers Art Gallery, “Launching,” Mount Desert Island Historical Society, accessed April 28, 2024, https://mdihs.digitalarchive.us/items/show/12929.Item 13295
