Title: Green point lighthouse
Medium: Oil on board
Date: 1863
Unframed: 16cm x 33cm
Framed: 58cm x 74cm
Signed: Dated 1863
Cape Town owed everything to the sea, ships from all over the world rode at anchor in Table Bay, but the anchorage remained totally unprotected with no harbour facilities. Visitors to the city had to reach shore by rowboat and climb off onto a wooden jetty not far from the Castle. Between 1839 and 1854 more than 200 vessels were wrecked along the South African coast. In 1842 one storm destroyed 7 ships and 190 people lost their lives. Twelve years later 16 ships wrecked within a fortnight between Salt River and Blaauwberg. Twelve years later the Cape government decided to erect a simple lighthouse and jetty at Moulle Point. This much appreciated addition to help safeguard ships sailing to Table Bay was often the subject in commissioned paintings by Thomas Bowler (Pama 1977:25).
