Monhegan Island Cottage Photo

Photographer’s Note

Monhegan Island History

The name Monhegan derives from Monchiggon, Algonquian for "out-to-sea island." European explorers Martin Pring visited in 1603, Samuel de Champlain in 1604, George Weymouth in 1605 and Captain John Smith in 1614. The island got its start as a British fishing camp prior to settlement of the Plymouth Colony. Cod was harvested from the rich fishing grounds of the Gulf of Maine, then dried on fish flakes before shipment to Europe. A trading post was built to conduct business with the Indians, particularly in the lucrative fur trade. It was Monhegan traders who taught English to Samoset, the sagamore who in 1621 startled the Pilgrims by boldly walking into their new village at Plymouth and saying: "Welcome, Englishmen."

Despite success as a fishing and trade center, Monhegan would be caught in the conflict between New England and New France for control of the region. During King Philip's War, dispossessed English settlers from the mainland sought refuge on the island before being relocated elsewhere along the coast. During King William's War, the island was captured for the French in 1689 by Baron de Saint-Castin. He destroyed the fishing fleet and burned the buildings, with many inhabitants escaping to Massachusetts. But even during periods when Monhegan was abandoned, its convenient offshore harbor remained a stopover destination for ships. The conclusion of the French and Indian War in 1763 brought peace to the area, and on September 4, 1839, Monhegan was incorporated as an island plantation.

In 1824, a conical stone lighthouse was built on the island by order of Congress and President James Monroe. Damaged by storms, it was replaced in 1850 by the present 48 foot (14.6 m) granite tower, with a fog bell station built in 1855 on nearby Manana Island. The island's 1,000 acres (400 hectares) of good land encouraged agriculture, with potatoes the chief crop. But fishing was always the most important industry, whether locally or at the Grand Banks. Today, it still dominates Monhegan’s economy. From December through May, fishermen harvest lobsters from the only lobster conservation area in the state of Maine.

Summer months bring artists and tourists on a daily ferry to see amazing ocean views and migrating island birds. Much of Monhegan is uninhabited and free to explore on 17 miles (24 kilometers) of dirt hiking trails. Monhegan only recently installed its own source of electricity; the island is still widely regarded as quaint and unspoiled. The beginnings of the art colony on Monhegan date to the mid-19th century; by 1890, it was firmly established. Among many prominent artists who have have found inspiration on the island are Edward Hopper and Rockwell Kent, both of whom painted the 150 foot (50 m) northside cliffs at Blackhead:

naznaz567, Dyerco, bobas, npecanhuk, danos, jpinkham, vmf-214, phwall, Wandering_Dan, dareco, Charo, parbo, plimrn, gracious, feather, trekks has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

vmukherjee (395) 2008-11-14 18:06

Beautiful shot!! The flowing hair of the girl shows that wind is blowing on a cloudy day. The scenic beauty of the place with the clouds and the wind looks amazing. Makes me want to go to that place. The houses look wonderful in the picture. Thanks for sharing.

JorgeCK (2596) 2008-11-14 18:47

Hi Tom,
Wonderful scene. The composition is excellent. The contrast between the blue/light background and the beautiful green landscape is superb. lovely picture.
well done. have a great weekend
joRge

naznaz567 (344) 2008-11-14 18:59

What a great photo. Here is the essence of the Maine coast. I can smell the salty air and feel the wind.

bracasha75 (22117) 2008-11-14 20:01

Helo Tom
I feel me in your works just like i,m home
It,s always relaxing atmospere twin people and nature,and....
Thanks for this pleasure
All best,Bratislav

jurek1951 (25996) 2008-11-14 20:55

Hello Tom,
Very good composition and presentation.
Beautiful picture, colors, focus and light.
Georg

Dyerco (9078) 2008-11-14 22:23

Hi Tom
A fine shot of the old cottage. It is a well balanced image with the placement of the two buildings.
Phil

bobas (0) 2008-11-14 22:50

piekna sceneria,wspaniala kompozycja,naturalne kolory wszystko to sklada sie na niepwtarzalny klimat fotografii.

npecanhuk (13921) 2008-11-15 2:07

Hello Tom!
Wonderful picture!
Colors are superb! The brightness is perfect for the scene! Sharpness is excellent! The view is simply magnificent! It's simple, but truly nice and eye-catching! I enjoyed the composition where you have added those people in the image: it has made it livelier and dynamical! Flowers in the foreground and that clarity in the horizon is what mostly attracts me in it! I like it all, anyway!
TFS - Congratulations!
Warmest regards,
Neyvan

danos (32468) 2008-11-15 3:35

Hello Tom,
very nice composition and shot of this picturesque landscape view of Monhegan Island.I like the lonely houses near the shore and the infinity horizon as the children that playing on the grass fields,but for me the photo is made by that stunning sky.Well done.

Have a nice weekend,Danos

jplebrun (16978) 2008-11-15 3:58

Hi Tom
magnifique cliché de cette vieille maison en bardeaux de cèdre construite sur cette ile, les couleurs sont magnifiques et dune très belle clarté, bravo.
Amitiés
Jean-Pierre

jpinkham (844) 2008-11-15 4:58

Nicely seen and executed, Tom. The overall effect is most charming. The clouds in the background and folks in the foreground both add interest; the lighting is pleasant; you did just the right amount of sharpening. You probably could have shot this without the polarizer -- the colors do seem slightly too rich -- but this is very good in any case. Interesting note, too.

Jim

vmf-214 (1622) 2008-11-15 10:17

Hi Tom,

Very nice rich colors in this shot and like how you caught the people in this shot. The composition and details are perfect. Now I'm ready to take a trip to the coast. Great job Tom.

Regards
Jason.

phwall (5564) 2008-11-15 11:44

Hi Tom,
Over here the real estate agents would refer to this cottage as, "a renovators delight", "for the special handyman", "needs some work", "perfect for the DIY specialist" or the most often used, "make the most of the potential".
Lovely shot of a little cottage that I'm sure has been a big part of a lot of people's lives. I like the symbolism of placing the young children in front of the old cottage.
Fine capture of a beautiful scene.
Regards
Peter

Wandering_Dan (3225) 2008-11-15 12:54

Hi, Tom -

A nice charming scene with the kids! And it's got that peculiar New England light to it.

Best,
Dan

dareco (17104) 2008-11-15 15:31

This looks like a wonderful spot, and I love the clouds! Very nice detail and pov and superb colors! TFS

Charo (31671) 2008-11-15 16:12

Hello Tom,
Magnificent scenery and beautiful place. The young boys having fun bringing you much impetus to this excellent frame.
Best regards,
Charo

parbo (10970) 2008-11-15 17:08

Hello Tom,

Your timing is perfect while adding young visitors to the scene in their natural movement. The houses are looks like just jumped from an architectural magazine with stunning sky.
Congratulations. Have a nice weekend.

Best Regards,

Ertugrul

plimrn (19656) 2008-11-15 21:32

Hi Tom,
Your photo is like a dream of a perfect summer day. The details of the children, the cottage and the flowers are exquisite. Just wonderful.
HLJ, Pat

Royaldevon (5932) 2008-11-16 3:00

Hello Tom,

Who wouldn't want to live here!
Superb composition with the land and the sea contrasting well with the bright, cloudiness of the sky.
The f/g flowers add to the happy, carefree atmosphere created by the gavorting children.
The two houses add strength and balance to the whole.

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

angela926 (1882) 2008-11-16 7:01

Hello Tom,
This really looks loke a lovely place, excellent composition and pov, beautiful vivid colors and nice light, excelletn sharpness and perfect depth of field. well done.
Angela

gracious (20017) 2008-11-16 9:57

Hello Tom,
I do not want to miss out this great shot of yours! just like a painting in dream!
perfection in lighting, colour and pov! just great!
very pleasant and pleasing to view and enjoy
many thanks indeed
take care
Tony

John_F_Kennedy (31427) 2008-11-16 23:52

Wonderful composition of the whole view. Excellent exposure, quality and colours. We can imagine the wind and the cold weather well.
Best wishes,
Achim

feather (49860) 2008-11-17 4:17

Away from autumn and back into summer, you have created the perfect mood here. I could see this image on a book cover with the frolicking children and the flowers weaving in the breeze. good shot
Kath

Greg1949 (8507) 2008-11-17 7:13

Nice rich colors on this one Tom, it is very comfortable and realistic looking. The blues in the sky look like cold sky colors even tho the kids are still in summer clothes but I suppose that is a function of late afternoon sunlight. Superb capture and presentation.

Greg

trekks (14314) 2008-11-17 7:27

hello Tom

Very interesting Note to read about the story of this island. The scenery is so much of the countryside that this coastal state has been known and you have captured a splendid view of the secret place away from it all.

tfs, bill