FRESH STUFF DAILY
Seacoast New Hampshire
& South Coast Maine
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
|
|
| |
|
|
|
d18
propecia for sale cheap prescription free viagra propecia with out a prescription viagracanadianpharmacy viagra buy online vicodine viagra prescription pharmacy levitra online Viagra without a prescription where to buy fenfluramine viagra on line cialis mg propecia with out a prescription viagra canada online viagra without prescription viagra with prescription cialis canada get viagra accutane online viagra prescription online online-cialis viagra with no prescription cialis or viagra buy canadian drugs online viagraonline
0
|
The Simple Art of Uncle Oscar
|
 |
 |
|
Written by Oscar Laighton
|
|
Page 1 of 3
CELIA THAXTER’S BABY BROTHER
He was just a simple working man with a famous sister. But Oscar Laighton did
one thing better than everyone else in his family – he survived. He died just
a few months shy of his 100th birthday and became the 20th century icon of Victorian life at the Isles of Shoals. Oscar was also, in a
very small way, a poet and a painter.
VISIT: Celia Thaxter section
Two Poems
Two Sketches
On the tiny Isles of Shoals Oscar Laighton was a superstar. He arrived at White Island in 1839, just three
months old, when his father Thomas Laighton, a sometime successful businessman
and politician, became lighthouse keeper. Oscar died in 1939, just three months
shy of his 100th birthday. He spent most of his century on the barren islands.
According to his own account in "90 Years on the Isles of Shoals", Oscar was 16
years old before he first stepped foot on the New Hampshire mainland 10 miles
away.
Although he was known to sketch and write poems, Oscar Laighton's local fame
came largely from longevity and proximity. His father Thomas purchased four of
the nine Isles of Shoals, intending first to rebuild the Gosport fishing industry,
then to become a sheep herder and a store owner. In the end, Thomas and his sons
Oscar and Cedric, established a hotel and tourist industry that survives today.
His sister Celia Laighton Thaxter gained notoriety in the second half of the
19th century as one of New England's few prominent female authors. After the death
of their parents, Oscar, Celia and Cedric -- who called his brother Oscar "Bocky"
from childhood --- owned both the large hotel on Appledore and the one that survives
today on Star Island, hosting as many as 600 visitors at a time.
 Sister Celia died at age 59 in 1892. The Appledore Hotel burned in 1914, but
Oscar lived on and on. Star Island was purchased from the Laightons in 1905 by
a religious-based group and became the summer conference center that it remains
today. For thirty years thereafter, Oscar was a fixture of the island. He is even
depicted in postcards of the ear -- writing his memoirs on the Oceanic porch,
posing with female conferees, standing in his fishing boat in a characteristic
dark suit with flowing white beard.
Though handsome in youth and eternally romantic, Oscar never married. His privately
published book of verse "Songs and Sonnets" contains simple poems of the sea and
of love, each similar to the next in tone and content. As an artist he sketched
two things -- fish and sailboats -- again and again. Uncle Oscar's ultimate creation
was Uncle Oscar, an uncomplicated island character, a touchstone to the Golden
Era of the Appledore House, when famous Boston-area artist made Celia's salon
their summer retreat. And through it all was Uncle Oscar, enjoying the attention,
loving the women in summer, and savoring a century of island sunsets
Notes by J. Dennis Robinson. Copyright (c) 2002 SeacoastNH.com. All rights reserved.
Images of Oscar Laighton courtesy Portsmouth Athenaeum.
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 Next > End >>
|
Please visit these SeacoastNH.com ad partners.
Portsmouth Herald
|
Portsmouth Herald Latest Headlines
|
| Portsmouth Herald News from SeacoastOnline.com |
-
UNH hockey powers past Terriers
DURHAM — The play of the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team special teams looked, well, special, Friday night against Boston University.
-
NFL's premier corner Revis mans up on Moss again
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Darrelle Revis has heard enough about his last matchup with Randy Moss. The New York Jets cornerback just wants to move on to the next one.
-
Father-son coaches creating legacy with Winnacunnet football
HAMPTON — If nothing else, Winnacunnet High School has proven that two Steve Magris are better than one when it comes to coaching football.
-
Bergeron wins it for B's in OT
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Patrice Bergeron scored with 47 seconds left in overtime, lifting the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.
-
Emotional home finale for UNH football
DURHAM — One year ago this week, University of New Hampshire strong safety Terrence Klein intercepted two late passes to preserve a snowy 28-24 win at Maine, more proof that...
-
Carter, Magic drop Celtics
BOSTON — Vince Carter scored 26 points, Rashard Lewis had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic beat the Boston Celtics 83-78 on Friday night.
-
Portsmouth says stimulus jobs overstated by White House
PORTSMOUTH — While federal stimulus dollars flowing into the city may help both causes and the economy, at least one local project echoes concerns expressed nationwide about the accuracy of...
-
Joseph Popluhar
TAMPA, Fla. — Mr. Joseph Popluhar, 71, of Tampa, formerly of Portsmouth, N.H., beloved husband of Marjorie (Hunt) Popluhar, died Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009, in Florida.
-
Turkey Trot 5K in Portsmouth on Thanksgiving morning
PORTSMOUTH — Thanksgiving is one of the most charitable times of the year. If you're in the giving mood, why not get a little exercise, too?
-
Marshwood Middle School parents told 58 of 60 kids accepted unknown Facebook friend
ELIOT, Maine — Marshwood Middle School parents were shocked to learn from Internet expert Jayne Hitchcock Thursday evening that 58 of 60 middle school honors students accepted her as a...
-
Newington tax rate drops, but selectman chides state lawmakers
NEWINGTON — Town taxpayers will pay a lower tax rate for 2009, but the chairman of the Board of Selectmen announced the good news with some concerns for state politicians.
-
Memorial Bridge re-opens
PORTSMOUTH — The Memorial Bridge reopened ahead of schedule on Friday following a month of repairs that forced motorists to seek alternative routes between the city and Kittery, Maine.
-
Bakers bustling for Sunday's pie festival
GREENLAND — Judy Alix laughed excitedly. "Thirty made, only 470 more to go!" she exclaimed.
-
3-car crash on Woodbury Ave.
PORTSMOUTH — A three-car, chain-reaction crash snarled lunch hour traffic Friday on Woodbury Avenue and sent a Maine man to Portsmouth Regional Hospital.
-
Thumbs up to preservation, determination
Thumbs up to the heirs of Mary McIntire Davis for selling a 239-acre parcel of salt marsh and forest along the York River to the York Land Trust ,and to...
-
John R. Genthner
HAMPTON FALLS — John Richard Genthner, born Jan. 28, 1943, in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, died peacefully Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, after a long illness. He was surrounded by...
-
Runner's Alley helps racer achieve her goals
I would like to thank Janine and the staff at Runner's Alley for their great work in this community. Their contribution, enthusiasm and encouragement are a shining example of what...
-
New Generation raises $10,000 with golf tourney
The New Generation Golf tournament was held at Breakfast Hill Golf Club. With the help of all those who supported it, we made more than $10,000.
-
Memorial is a N.H. bridge; Herald must act to save it
Sitting a couple of hundred miles up the Maine coast, there isn't anyone who knows or cares about our bridge. They've got their own big-time problems that aren't getting fixed.
-
Robert F. Pucciarelli
WELLS, Maine — Robert Francis "Bob" Pucciarelli, 83, of Wells, formerly of Medway, Mass., died early Thursday morning, Nov. 19, 2009.
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, November 21, 2009 |
|
|
|
