Mahone Bay has had as a long
reputation as a picturesque place. Even in the days when there were no
decent roads connecting it with Halifax there was an inn, built
by Alexander Zwicker in 1805. It is seen precisely in the centre of
this watercolor sketch, immmediately south of the
Anney River.
Itinerate watercolourists used to have an acceptable placein that older
world before still and video photography had been invented. Henry
Pooley was officially an officer in the Royal Engineers and he and his
fellows created a great many images like this to record the lay of the
land and the state of development of the places which they visited as a
prelude to projected building projects.
We don't know what he thought of this vista showing Oakland and the
Mahone Bay Islands in the background. Admittedly this view has
little artistic merit, the composition being a bit awkward, but it is a
great historic record of a place which had not grown much since the first grants were passed out in 1754.
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Mahone Bay looking south eastward
Henry Pooley
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