"Culver Cliff, Isle of Wight" Watercolour, Artist Unknown. 1883, 2" X 5" approx.

The following is one side of a handmade bookmark I found in the Cassel family bible, a book which dates back to 1850 (Cassel is my father's family). It is a watercolour which evidently was cut down to size and once had a tassel or cord of some kind. The other side, which is also painted, says "Culver Cliff Isle of Wight -- 10th Apr '83" (meaning 1883).¹

The picture shows a schooner standing off from shore while launches with tiny red-coated figures head for shore. As it happens, on a schooner the mainmast is in back of the other mast, but the artist either forgot this or else took license and arranged the masts in order to make the pennant visible.

And this is the result after digital restoration. The full-resolution image is 4 times this the actual size, but retains crispness and texture.

I asked Bluebottle if he knew of a Culver Cliff -- I have been wondering whether it was a place or perhaps the name of the ship -- and by the most extraordinary coincidence, he lives just 3 and a half miles from Culver Cliff. In honour of this most serendipitous finding, I am making this restoration the first image to be hung in my gallery. And with his permission I include a photograph he sent me of Culver cliff as seen from the air.