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Photography by Edward C. Robison III.

Cleveland Lighthouse on the Lake Erie

Maximilian and Bodmer reached St. Louis on May 27, 1834. From there they retraced the route they took two years earlier on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers as far as Mount Vernon, again visiting New Harmony, Indiana. Then they journeyed overland and arrived at Louisville, Kentucky, where they boarded a steamboat for Portsmouth. From Portsmouth, the explorers followed the Ohio Canal northward to the port of Cleveland, where they took a steamer bound for Buffalo, New York. Bodmer's original drawing of the Cleveland lighthouse on Lake Erie has been lost—only this aquatint documents his view of this landmark. Bodmer also painted the Niagara Falls before leaving Buffalo. Finally, the travelers followed the Erie Canal to Albany, New York, and, descending the Hudson River, arrived again at New York City. From there they sailed to Europe on July 16, 1834, and arrived in Lehavre, France, on August 8. The explorers took with them vast numbers of specimens of flora and fauna, including live bears, scientific notes, and detailed drawings and watercolors documenting their adventures.

ArtistKarl Bodmer(1809-1893)

Swiss, 1809 - 1893

Date1832-1834
MediumHand-colored aquatint
Dimensions11 3/8 x 16 1/2 in. (28.9 x 41.9 cm)
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2009.26.80
ClassificationPrint
ProvenanceAuthor; to Frederick Schuchart, NY, 1844; (William Reese Company, New Haven, CT); purchased by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR, 2009
On ViewNo
Cleveland Lighthouse…11.4 × 16.5 in.Tennis Ball2.7 in. diameter

This artwork's face covers about 26× the area of a tennis ball.Drawn to the same scale.