John Noble was born in Paris in 1913.  He was the son of noted artist John " Wichita Bill" Noble.  They moved to the U.S. from Paris in 1919.  John began his sketching & painting career at age 16.  He returned to France in 1931 and studied at the University of Grenoble.

He married Susan Ames, returned to America and studied at the Academy of Art and Design.  In 1928 he was impressed with the view of wooden schooners from a bridge and moved into the Staten Island, Snug Harbor area.  He lived on a houseboat/ studio he built from his salvage work of the boats at Port Johnston.  This was in 1941.  He often took a rowboat with his wife and studied the harbor area, its inhabitants and boats.  He died there in the Spring of 1983.  Today, a museum of his works there includes his houseboat / studio.

Submitted as a bulletin by Linda Feece