for the 500th anniversary of Columbus anchorage in San Salvador Island

Government of Bahamas, San Salvador Island, Bahamas

“In these waters, on October 12, 1492, Columbus dropped anchor, North Latitude 24° 1’ 41’’ Longitude 74° 32’ 11’’.

“By commission of the Bahamian Government in cooperation with Columbus Landings, John Vassar House, a renowned sculptor in Rome, created a bronze monument in recognition of Christopher Columbus’ landfall in the New World. This impressive plaque was commemorated in San Salvador on Columbus Day 1972, and will be permanently placed on the ocean floor, marking the exact bearing point where the Admiral dropped anchor. The sea is crystal clear and, at the depth of 12 feet (3,60 meters), the monument may be viewed by all visitors to San Salvador.”

The Discoverer, Columbus Landings, San Salvador Island, Bahamas, Volume 3, Number 4 January / February, 1973.

Starting in the 1970’s, John Vassar House showed a great interest in geographical markers, sundials and in lighthouses.

Sculptor John Vassar House was taken by geographical location markers in many sculptures he built. The first underwater marker was actually a cross-over between a marker and a marine vector. It did not take him much time to propose his underwater marker to commemorate the location dropped anchor ion October 12, 1492, in San Salvador Island.

The bronze alloy with increased percentage of copper was a great manner to avoid barnacles and other growths onto the sculpture.

First and second images are and elaboration of the 1963 Marine vector that inspired the Columbus marker model of 1972 (third image) in silver plated bronze