Ethel P.B. Leach (1878-1960), Far View (The Old Beach), Oil on canvas, 29 ½ x 62 ¾ in. (74.9 x 159.4 cm), Museum Purchase, 2010.6
What does 250 years of Delaware history look like through the eyes of our neighbors? To answer, we invited 25 diverse voices from across our state to serve as community curators. Each selected one piece from our collection, making Reflections: 25 Objects for 250 Years of Delaware History an exhibition curated entirely by our local community. Each post in this series features one object and the personal story of why it was chosen to represent our region’s history or felt particularly relevant to our contemporary moment.
Meet the Community Curator
Jesse Hayden
Administrator
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy
Jesse Hayden is the Administrator for DNREC’s Coastal Programs Section where he leads a diverse team managing the use and protection of Delaware’s unique ocean and coastal resources. He graduated from the University of Delaware with a Master’s degree in Coastal Engineering, studying the dynamic Indian River Inlet morphology and forging connections to the state’s unique coastal characteristics. He worked in the private sector studying the effects of extreme coastal storms before joining DNREC in 2016. At DNREC Jesse has contributed to shore protection, waterway management, hazard mitigation, and resilience planning projects.
Curator Reflection
This painting by Ethel Leach shows us the beach and dunes of Cape Henlopen, the final destination for sand as it flows from south to north along Delaware’s coastline. Bay tidal currents and ocean waves interact with the sand in this area creating dynamic nearshore shoals that inspired the historical construction of lighthouses, including the one pictured that was undermined by moving sand and fell in 1926. Amid the beauty of nature there are hazards that must be respected.
The ocean and bay have drawn people to the area for thousands of years. This painting captures the complex majesty of this spot where land, sea, and sky all meet; where the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean push against each other to literally shape our state. Today Delaware’s beaches are an economic engine, and the communities that have grown near them endure the perils of living and working on the edge. Good stewardship incorporates lessons from the past and considers effects on future generations. This painting from 100 years ago leads me to think about the next century of Delaware’s coastline, as climate change intensifies familiar hazards and we find ways to continue to thrive.
Image courtesy of the Rehoboth Art League Collections.
About the Artist
Ethel Pennewill Brown established a summer art colony in Rehoboth Beach soon after she built a cottage and studio there in 1920. A student of Howard Pyle’s, she had previously worked in illustration and had commissions for national publications including Ladies Home Companion and Harper’s Weekly. Once she settled at the beach, however, she transitioned towards more easel painting.
In 1922, she married fellow artist William Leach. The Cape Henlopen Lighthouse, a prominent local landmark, became a favorite subject for both artists. She often painted it in a horizontal format—like this—so that it could be hung prominently over the mantle above a fireplace in a dining room or parlor.
Built in the 1760s by the British government, the 126-foot structure provided light that could be seen for 17 miles at sea. Storm and wave damage prompted the United States Coast Guard to abandon the station in 1924, and it fell into the sea in April 1926. William Leach salvaged the door to the lighthouse from the wreckage and later donated it to Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes.
Ethel Pennewill Brown Leach continued to paint the lighthouse from memory after it fell, though would often make a notation on the back. An active member of the local community, she began Annual Summer Art Exhibitions in Rehoboth Beach in 1928, attracting artists from across the mid-Atlantic. In 1938, she was a founder of the Rehoboth Art League.
Engage Beyond the Artwork
This artwork acts as a century-old mirror for the future of Delaware’s coastline. What do you think our beaches will look like to a visitor standing here 100 years from now?
About the Exhibition
On view until January 3 – Reflections: 25 Objects for 250 Years of Delaware History is an exhibition curated entirely by Delaware community members reflecting on the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Visit and explore all 25 objects, community reflections, and the opportunity to add your own reflection.