Tag: Newport

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New Print Releases The American Northeast

Abiding Guardian of Newport Harbor

Abiding Guardian of Newport Harbor (Newport Harbor Lighthouse, Newport, Rhode Island)
“Abiding Guardian of Newport Harbor”
Newport Harbor Lighthouse (aka Goat Island Light), On Goat Island in Newport Harbor, Newport, Rhode Island
© 2016 J. G. Coleman

The rough-cut granite trunk of the Newport Harbor Light, its white paint besieged by the elements, climbs steeply above the waters of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay. Dawn casts warm, revealing light upon the weathered slab foundation and worn, white-picket fence: it seems that every facet of this old beacon carries the scars of a long, hard-earned life on the New England coast.

Of the exquisite array of lighthouses along Rhode Island’s shores, the relatively plain and diminutive Newport Harbor Light is often overlooked. But this humble beacon, now over 170 years old, has faithfully kept watch over seven generations of mariners and Rhode Islanders alike. If these enduring walls of granite could talk, they would surely tell boundless tales of places long-changed and people long-forgotten.

One of the most unusual stories surrounding the Newport Harbor Lighthouse –perhaps any lighthouse, for that matter– came about in 1921. On November 9 of that year, in an incident that sounds almost unbelievable, a 150-foot-long submarine accidentally rammed into the breakwater upon which the lighthouse and keeper’s cabin stood. The keeper’s cabin was a loss, being demolished shortly afterwards, but the lighthouse thankfully survived and continues guiding vessels to this very day.

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Click here to visit my landing page for “Abiding Guardian of Newport Harbor” to buy a beautiful fine art print or inquire about licensing this image.

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Be sure to check out all of my work from Rhode Island.

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New Print Releases The American Northeast

Guardian of the East Passage

Guardian of the East Passage (Castle Hill Lighthouse beside Narragansett Bay, Newport, Rhode Island)
“Guardian of the East Passage”
Castle Hill Lighthouse beside Narragansett Bay, Newport, Rhode Island
© 2016 J. G. Coleman

Bearing certain resemblance to the turret of some medieval fortress, one could be forgiven for mistakenly assuming that Newport’s Castle Hill Lighthouse lent its name to the hill rising inland from its rocky, oceanfront perch. As it happens, though, the modest knoll beside Narragansett Bay was called Castle Hill at least as early as the 1860s, decades before the first of the lighthouse’s granite blocks were laid (perhaps it was the hill’s name that inspired the lighthouses design?).

A Crimson Beacon (Castle Hill Lighthouse beside Narragansett Bay, Newport, Rhode Island)
“A Crimson Beacon”
Castle Hill Lighthouse beside Narragansett Bay, Newport, Rhode Island
© 2016 J. G. Coleman

In fact, it seemed for many years as if the idea of building a lighthouse at Castle Hill was doomed to fail. An 1875 attempt by Congress to buy land for the beacon fell through when wealthy cottagers nearby declined to sell. More than a decade passed before officials finally acquired the land from a new cottage owner, but progress stalled when he refused to allow builders to enter the site through his property. “I stand an excellent show of having my place ruined and nobody to foot the bill,” he complained, suggesting they avoid ruining his lawn by bringing their materials to the site on boats.

Pharos Ascending (Castle Hill Lighthouse beside Narragansett Bay, Newport, Rhode Island)
“Pharos Ascending”
Castle Hill Lighthouse beside Narragansett Bay, Newport, Rhode Island
© 2016 J. G. Coleman

Negotiations continued for over a year before access over land was granted and construction could finally begin. The Castle Hill Light was kindled for the first time on May 1, 1890 and the ruby glow of its lamp still guides vessels to this very day.

Tempestuous (Narragansett Bay beside Castle Hill, Newport, Rhode Island)
“Tempestuous”
Narragansett Bay along Castle Hill, Newport, Rhode Island
© 2016 J. G. Coleman

Purchase a Fine Art Print or Inquire About Licensing

Click here to visit my landing page for “Guardian of the East Passage” to buy a beautiful fine art print or inquire about licensing this image.

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Be sure to check out all of my work from the Castle Hill Lighthouse, including larger examples of all of the pieces seen above.

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All Things Connecticut New Print Releases The American Northeast

Simplicity

Simplicity (Boyd's Windmill, Middletown, Rhode Island)

Over the next couple weeks, I’m going to be processing all of my latest work from Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay. Much of my shooting time was spent at the beautiful Castle Hill Lighthouse on the southwest coast of Newport, but I also managed to work in Boyd’s Windmill.

Here’s a piece from that windmill which I was eager to develop ahead of the others. The title, “Simplicity”, really says it all. Between the silhouetted windmill vanes and the rich tones in the sky, the uncomplicated beauty encompassed in this piece resonated strongly with my first-hand impression of the windmill.

For the curious, Boyd’s Windmill was built just north of Newport in 1810 and harnessed the ocean breeze to grind grain for surrounding farmers.

Keep an eye out for more work from the Rhode Island coast over the upcoming months!

Purchase a Fine Art Print or Inquire About Licensing

Click here to visit my landing page for “Simplicity” to buy a beautiful fine art print or inquire about licensing this image.

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Be sure to check out all of my work from Rhode Island.