Name/Title
"Louisbourg Light" Watercolor by William RogersEntry/Object ID
2020.2401.1Scope and Content
A watercolor on paper by William Rogers, titled "Louisbourg Light".Context
The painting features a lighthouse on a hill with trees and greenery, hydro poles with hydro lines and water visible in the background. Across the bottom of the painting is handwritten in pencil #70/200, "LOUISBOURG LIGHT", and William Rogers.
The color painting is thought to feature Louisbourg Lighthouse, an active Canadian lighthouse located in Louisbourge, Nova Scotia. The current lighthouse is the fourth in a series of lighthouses built on the site with the first lighthouse built on the site being the first lighthouse built in Canada.
Construction began on the lighthouse in 1730 to assist navigation to Fortress of Louisbourg. Completed in 1734, a fire destroyed the lantern in 1736. The stone tower was unharmed and a new lantern was installed in 1738. During the Siege of 1745 and 1758, the lighthouse played a decisive role and provided a location for a gun battery to bombard the fortress. This lighthouse was badly damaged in 1758 during the Final Siege of Louisbourg and abandoned by the British after they demolished the fortress. Stonework ruins from the first tower are still visible at the site.Acquisition
Accession
2020.2401Source or Donor
UnknownAcquisition Method
Gift