{"id":3609,"date":"2024-01-01T08:46:25","date_gmt":"2024-01-01T13:46:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nelights.com\/blog\/?p=3609"},"modified":"2025-07-04T12:44:29","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T16:44:29","slug":"famous-painting-of-a-lighthouse-keepers-rescue-dog-named-milo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nelights.com\/blog\/famous-painting-of-a-lighthouse-keepers-rescue-dog-named-milo\/","title":{"rendered":"Famous Painting of a Lighthouse Keeper’s Rescue Dog Named Milo"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Painting<\/a>

Painting of Milo the Rescue Dog by Artist Landseer, Entitled “Saved”<\/p><\/div>\n

Lighthouse Keeper’s Rescue Dog, Milo, from Massachusetts
\nGains World Attention from P<\/strong>ainting<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

George B. Taylor was the first keeper at Egg Rock lighthouse, located a mile from Nahant on the northern shore of Massachusetts. It was located just north of Boston Harbor, a few miles from Deer Island Lighthouse<\/a><\/strong> and Long Island Head Lighthouse<\/a><\/strong>. When he brought his family to Egg Rock Island, he also got their loving dog, Milo, in 1855. Many lighthouse keepers owned dogs for companionship, as the solitary job of managing and maintaining a lighthouse could be challenging. He was a breed mix between a Newfoundland and a St. Bernard, making him a rather large animal. Although the lighthouse is no longer present today, the stories and the famous painting of Milo have been preserved over the years.<\/p>\n

As the masons completed the finishing touches on the lighthouse, they were pretty fond of the playful animal. They left an opening in the masonry, which served as Milo\u2019s private entranceway to the lighthouse.<\/p>\n

Milo adapted quickly to the island’s wildlife. He was an excellent swimmer and very independent. One day, as Keeper Taylor took a shot at an approaching Loon for dinner, Milo started a long chase after the wounded bird. Milo was soon out of sight, hunting for the prize as the seabird kept trying to fly away. Darkness approached, and the Keeper and his family feared that Milo had gotten into some trouble in his escapade. The Taylors finally went to sleep, worrying that the dog had drowned. The following afternoon, Milo was sighted in the water heading towards the island from the Nahant shoreline. The dog missed the sight of the tiny rock island and lighthouse at night and ended up on the shore of Nahant, where he stayed the night and then apparently swam to the island the next day.<\/p>\n

\"Vintage<\/a>

Vintage image of Egg Rock Lighthouse in the 1800s. Image courtesy US Coast Guard.<\/p><\/div>\n

Milo constantly barked at vessels approaching the lighthouse in foggy weather, becoming an additional fog signal. Keeper Taylor would claim that Milo assisted in the rescue of several children from drowning near the island.<\/p>\n

Milo was also a favorite of local fishermen, who would come to the lighthouse and tie large pieces of cod to pieces of wood and set them adrift. The dog would swim out from the shore to retrieve the floating fish, which sometimes were sent adrift as far as a mile from the island, and then bring them to the Taylors. The Taylors would then cook the presents for dinner that night.<\/p>\n

Milo\u2019s fame spread across the Atlantic, where he captivated the interest of a well-known English animal painter, Sir Edwin Henry Landseer. Landseer was granted permission by Keeper Taylor to create a painting of Milo with Taylor\u2019s young son, Fred. The painting displayed Milo over a young child resting between the dog’s large paws as if the child had just been saved. The painting “Saved”<\/em> became a powerful symbol of the lighthouse service and gained international fame.<\/p>\n

Hug your pets!
\nAllan Wood<\/p>\n

Today, Egg Rock Lighthouse has been removed, and the island is now used as a bird sanctuary, thanks to the efforts of Massachusetts Senator Henry Cabot Lodge.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n