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The feather was painted by a Cape Horner, the name for seamen who voyaged in the copper trade around Cape Horn. Captain Will Nelson painted it in 1898, one of many that he gave to loved ones. This one is a gift to his mother, bearing his name and that of his ship, the "Ben Nevis". Painting such feathers was a 19th century seafaring tradition. They were painted on the long voyages to give to family as a keepsake. This feather is one of a group donated to Swansea Museum in 1996 by Mr. George Owen, several of them painted by Will Nelson. Others were painted by unknown sailors.
In the late 19th century, Swansea was indeed "Copperopolis" as the industry dominated the town. Much of the copper came from South America and Swansea had more Cape Horners than any other British port. Voyages to Chile to trade in copper often took more than a year and the sea captains who commanded ships around Cape Horn were held in high regard.