'The Canvey Lady' poster

By Charles Pears

Whilst looking for paintings of Canvey by Charles Pears I came across this poster where the art work was done by Pears in 1926. It has the strange figure in the foreground named 'The Canvey Lady'. I was intrigued, what was it? Where was it? Why was it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canvey Island Essex

The Canvey Lady

Apparently there used to be two of them, one was at Thorney Bay camp and the other was where the Canvey Football pitch is now. All we could come up with was that it was something to do with navigation.

So I got in touch with Mike Millichamp who was very helpful when I was researching the Chapman Lighthouse and he came up with more answers.

 

Mike says it is a disused beacon.

His 1914 guide says "Canvey Island - 2 beacons; not in use for navigation. Stony Point - a beacon with a diamond shaped head surmounted by a ball; elevated at 58 feet"

 

His 1948 guide says about the same as above but adds "at Deadman's Point, western entrance to Thorny Creek"

 

His 1950 guide makes no mention so he presumed it had gone by then.

 

So the one we have in the poster is the one mentioned in the 1948 guide at Deadman's Point. (Thorney Bay)

 

It seems a strange subject for any artwork, even a promotional poster and especially with the beacon being so prominent. But I can see why it was called—

'The Canvey Lady'.

 

© TfL from the London Transport Museum collection