Home in Safe Harbour, 1981

Lord Russborough’s Annex, Port Hope Private Collection, Burlington

A letter dated 14 August 1988 from David Blackwood accompanies the artwork, which reads: “Dear Gord, Safe Harbour was the only community in Bonavista Bay (a large region of north eastern Newfoundland) involved with whaling. The church spire had a whole weathervane. This vane is now on the Wesleyville studio building (in the town where I was born). I bought the wave from a local man who removed the N.E.S.W. indicators. He intended to put them on his flagpole. It [was] many years later that he gave them to me, long after the print was made. So in the print the whale is on top of the church spire means its N.E.S.W. letter. Regards, David Blackwood”