A lighthouse at Cape Agulhas was suggested by Colonel Charles Collier Michell, the Surveyor-General of the Cape, in March 1837. A public meeting at Cape Town on 11 July 1840 resolved to raise funds for the construction of the lighthouse, and Michiel van Breda, the founder of Bredasdorp, offered to donate the land on which it was to be built. Apart from local contributions, funds were received from Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Manila, St Helena and London; by June 1843 the sum raised was £1,479.3s.9d (£1,479.19).
In 1847, the government of the Cape Colony agreed to fund the construction at a cost of £15,871; building work began in April of that year and was completed in December 1848, and the light was first lit on 1 March 1849. Originally, it was fuelled by the tail-fat of sheep, but in 1905 an oil-burning lantern was installed. In March 1910, the lens was replaced with a first-order Fresnel lens. In 1929, the oil burner was replaced by a petroleum vapour burner, which was in turn replaced in 1936 by a four-kilowatt electric lamp powered by a diesel generator.
In 1968, the lighthouse was taken out of service, and the light moved to an aluminum tower, as it was discovered that the sandstone walls were crumbling due to excessive weathering. The building was declared a national monument in 1973 and is also a Western Cape provincial heritage site.[4] Restoration and reconstruction was performed by the Bredasdorp Shipwreck Museum and the local council, and the lighthouse was recommissioned in 1988.
In 2016, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) identified the lighthouse as a deserving prominent historic engineering project and International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
Note that:
1. No framing is included in the pricing.
2. All Fine art prints are printed on Epson Cold Press fine art paper with a life long warranty.
3. Great care is taken with the packaging of your product to ensure that you receive it in good order.
4. All Canvasses and Fine Art Prints will be personally signed by Gerhard Steenkamp.
5. All Canvasses and Prints are limited to 20 per image.
6. We give you the insurance of optimum quality and professional service at all times.
7. Standard sizes are follow:
- 16″ x 24″ = A2 = 40 x 60 cm
- 24″ x 36″ = A1 = 60 x 84 cm
- 32″ x 48′ = A0 = 80 x 120 cm
8. In case of an image being an odd size the longest side will stay the same, as on the order, and the shorter side will be altered to suite the dimensions of the image.
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