Threadwinder.info - The Needles, IOW

Three pictures of the Needles geologic formation, Isle of Wight (IOW). IOW is England's largest island, located in the British Channel, and often has been described as "Southern England in microcosm." It is the home of Queen Victoria's summer palace, Osbourne House, and many tourist attractions, including the geologic formation at the end of Alum Bay, known as the Needles. The Needles always have been a hazard to shipping, especially before the 1849 lighthouse was built (which barely can be seen in the last two images). The earliest print of the needles shows the most needle-like formation, known as "Lot's Wife", which collapsed into the sea during a 1764 storm. The next print, from the author's collection, was painted in 1899. The photo is one the author took in 2000. Alum bay currently has a small amusement park, apparently built in the early 1900s, after Guglielmo Marconi used the area for testing wireless radio transmissions.