Images(2)

The Sandy Hook Lightship

Artist Milton James Burns

Period1896

MediumOil on canvas

DimensionsSight size: 23.25 × 52.5 in. (59.1 × 133.4 cm)

SignedThe canvas is signed "Burns / 96" in the lower left corner.

ClassificationsMarine and Seascapes

Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. William C. Riker, 1965

Object number1994.551

Curatorial RemarksThis vivid depiction of the lightship Sandy Hook (LV-51) was painted in 1896 by Milton James Burns (1853-1933), an esteemed American artist with a passion for the great outdoors. The steam-powered Sandy Hook was constructed in 1892, the first of its kind to utilize electric lighting. She served post for fourteen years on the southern side of the Ambrose Channel off the coast of Sandy Hook, guiding trans-Atlantic steamers approaching the New York Harbor. In 1919 the retired vessel was rammed and sunk by a Standard Oil barge while relieving the lightship Cornfield Point in the Long Island Sound. Coast Guard historians were finally able to locate the wreckage in the fall of 2000 at a depth of 190 feet.NotesThe Monmouth County Historical Association received this painting in 1965 in stable condition but suffering from ill-effects of time and exposure. In early June of 2019, it was conserved by Fred Koszewnik, who was able to successfully repair a 1 and 1/2 inch tear in the canvas and restore several areas of paint loss, as well as remove a significant buildup of accumulated soot and grime that masked the scene's intended color and detail.

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