Nova Scotia Archives

Lunenburg by the Sea

General Views

The first visual representations of Lunenburg which can be dated and ascribed are probably Henry Pooley's two watercolours, done in 1816. The following year, a professional landscape painter named John Elliott Woolford accompanied the newly-appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia, George Ramsey, 9th Earl of Dalhousie, on a formal tour of the province. 'On the South Settlement near Lunenburgh' and 'Distant view of Lunenburgh', both dated 23 July 1817, nicely capture a small, neat community perched on the edge of the sea.

At the same time Lord Dalhousie recorded his own impressions of the community, noting in his diary for 24 July 1817 that "The fort saluted, & a Captain's Militia Guard attended, commanded by Major Ernst. At Col. Rudolf's we were visited by all the respectable people of the place...." The governor went on to observe that "All here is German, scarcely do they speak English intelligibly. Agriculture is their only pursuit, they are not wealthy, but live frugally, & are all comfortable, a singular circumstance that there never has yet been a Pauper, maintained by the Parish."

A few years later Captain William Moorsom, writing in his Letters from Nova Scotia, recorded another impression of Lunenburg and provided a little more detail: "On approaching Lunenburg the coast becomes indented in the most singular manner with inlets and coves, almost isolating the numerous peninsulas that rise in small hills between them. The town of Lunenburg is situated at the innermost extremity of a peninsula of this description."

Moorsom also noted that the town had 1100 residents, almost 130 dwellings and additional storehouses. He observed that the community was more compact than most, had been laid out at right angles, and was built on the steep slopes of a hill. The upper houses were on the crest of this slope, which in turn led up to a half-concealed parapet still surmounted by a blockhouse.

The topographical alignment and positioning of the community around its hilly prominence remain one of Lunenburg's defining aspects. The South Shore of Nova Scotia (1931) again described the town as being "on the southern exposure of a steep hill, and approaching from the sea, it has the appearance of a town much larger than it actually is. Its rows of houses built one above the other give it a picturesque and attractive appearance."

The 2003 Doers' and Dreamers' Guide, published by the NS Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage, builds yet again on this theme of Lunenburg's tidy compactness and visual beauty, noting its "colourful waterfront, narrow streets and captivating architecture [which] radiate the flavour of the town's seafaring heritage." The superb preservation of Old Town Lunenburg led to its designation as a Canadian National Heritage District in 1991 and as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

Results 1 to 15 of 19 from your search:

"Report of the state and strength of the Forts and Batteries &cc...Nova Scotia ..."

Date: 1 July 1813

Reference: Great Britain Army. Royal Engineers Nova Scotia Archives MG 12 RE vol. 52

Theme: General Views


"South-east view of Lunenburg, 1816"

Date: 1816

Format: watercolour

Artist: Henry Pooley

Reference: Nova Scotia Archives

Theme: General Views


"South-west view of Lunenburg, 1816"

Date: 1816

Format: watercolour

Artist: Henry Pooley

Reference: Nova Scotia Archives

Theme: General Views


"On the South Settlement Near Lunenburgh"

Date: 23 July 1817

Format: watercolour

Artist: John Elliott Woolford

Reference: History Section, Nova Scotia Museum no. 78.45.75 no. 31109

Theme: General Views


"Distant View of Lunenburgh"

Date: 23 July 1817

Format: watercolour

Artist: John Elliott Woolford

Reference: History Section, Nova Scotia Museum no. 78.45.76 no. 31110

Theme: General Views


Lunenburg Harbour

Date: ca. 1820

Reference: Great Britain Army. Royal Engineers Nova Scotia Archives Map Collection: HG REO O.11

Theme: General Views


"View of Lunenburg from Battery Point"

Date: 1861

Format: engraving

Artist: Captain Campbell Hardy, RA

Reference: NSARM Newspapers Nova Scotia Archives The Illustrated London News, 5 October 1861 p. 347

Theme: General Views


"Goldwashing near Lunenburg"

Date: 1861

Format: engraving

Artist: Captain Campbell Hardy, RA

Reference: NSARM Newspapers Nova Scotia Archives The Illustrated London News, 5 October 1861 p. 347

Theme: General Views


"Lunenburg, N.S."

Date: ca. 1890

Photographer: Notman Studio

Reference: Notman Studio Nova Scotia Archives no. 68215 / negative N-8314

Theme: General Views


"Bird's Eye View of Lunenburg, Mahone Bay and Ritcey's Cove"

Date: 1890

Reference: Nova Scotia Archives / negative N-912

Theme: General Views


"Lunenburg by the Sea"

Date: ca. 1896

Artist: L. Brown

Reference: Nova Scotia Archives Library VF vol. 135 no. 32

Theme: General Views


Lunenburg from near Hospital Hill

Date: 1898

Reference: Nova Scotia Archives Photo Collection: Places: Lunenburg: Harbour (2) / negative N-0316, N-1705

Theme: General Views


The Harbour at Lunenburg

Date: 1898

Reference: Nova Scotia Archives Photo Collection: Places: Lunenburg: Harbour (1) / negative N-205, N-8483

Theme: General Views


"Lunenburg from Hospital Hill"

Date: ca. 1900

Reference: Edith Read Nova Scotia Archives 1996-78 #70

Theme: General Views


Lunenburg, NS

Photographer: W.R. MacAskill

Reference: W.R. MacAskill Nova Scotia Archives 1987-453 no. 4055

Theme: General Views


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