or the reverse, almost invariably we sail on the Armorique. It has become familiar to us, a comfortable ship within which the decor is centred on the coastal scenery of Brittany and Finistère and in particular the feux, balises and phares that punctuate that northern coastline. The cabins and the corridors leading to them all have framed reproductions of Plisson's photographs; which will we have in our cabin we wonder, as we tackle the task of finding the corridor on which our cabin is situated. So it was a pleasure to find Grand Léjon on the wall on an overnight crossing, to St Malo that time – the transit that sailed past Roches Douvres referred to in that post. The picture of your author in the accommodation taken by Mrs Melling suggests the smugness of a man who thinks he is going to clock a 'new' light during the crossing… alas, alas……
This rock lighthouse is not quite as evasive as Roches Douvres: I have just about been able to make it out from the mainland, but not to take in any detail. Of course that makes it a cherished objective, but one that I am not likely to do more than get a clearer view on a clearer day than heretofore. This light has served since 1881 flashing red and/or white, five times every twenty-five seconds with a range of 18 nautical miles, I believe. Grand Léjon marks the entrance to la Baie de Saint Brieuc. Apparently keepers were not fond of being posted there. For a bit more guff, why not visit the Lighthouse Directory? Be sure to look at Huelse for the vintage post card view… with keepers!
Since JBH produced this postcard a larger lantern seems to have been fitted. Héron groupings of lighthouses are my favourite items to collect (posters and postcards) but they have disappeared from shops almost completely, sadly. I have this postcard below amongst others by the master. The hunt for the missing ones goes on but hope of finding them is now slipping away just as surely as my chances of eye-balling the more remote phares. Life is a veil of tears, etc. etc…
As a comparison of illustration style, here (left, below) is Stéphane Bossis's elevation of Grand Léjon from his Agenda des phares 2008. I like his work very much but for me JBH still addresses the compromise between illustration and technical rendition that bit more gracefully…
Acknowledgements to both herewith. And to MM for the cabin-snap.
Since JBH produced this postcard a larger lantern seems to have been fitted. Héron groupings of lighthouses are my favourite items to collect (posters and postcards) but they have disappeared from shops almost completely, sadly. I have this postcard below amongst others by the master. The hunt for the missing ones goes on but hope of finding them is now slipping away just as surely as my chances of eye-balling the more remote phares. Life is a veil of tears, etc. etc…
As a comparison of illustration style, here (left, below) is Stéphane Bossis's elevation of Grand Léjon from his Agenda des phares 2008. I like his work very much but for me JBH still addresses the compromise between illustration and technical rendition that bit more gracefully…
Acknowledgements to both herewith. And to MM for the cabin-snap.
