There is a small rocky island that is in the Great Lakes on the Ontario side of the boundary between the United States and Canada. It is in the channel between Lake Huron and Lake Superior. In the late 1800s passenger and cargo steam ships came through this channel. Robert Bamford, who came from England to St. Joseph Island about 1880 was the first keeper of the lighthouse that was built on that island. He dutifully cared for the light from 1889 until his death in 1913. The island was named after him, Bamford Island.

His greatgrandson, who lives in Albuquerque, NM, came to Jane Maclean with two black and white images of the lighthouse that were taken around 1910. The lighthouse itself had been destroyed in the 1940s. He asked if Jane could create a painting that might bring the family story to life. It was a wonderful time of collaboration between the client and the painter to produce the image that was the greatgrandson’s vision.