Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Midas Tümülüsü (Tumulus MM)
The Devil's Column
Weightlifting Hall of Fame
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Customize your bowl with sliced pork, pork balls, fish cake, and offal.
Rung Rueang
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
1 day ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
3 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
4 days ago
Cely’s map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree’s trees and waterways.
How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park
5 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Raleigh Album Rock

Album Rock

A remote landmark named for a whimsical photograph taken by a 1850s photographer and his crew of graffiti artists.

Raleigh, Newfoundland and Labrador

Added By
Matthew Hollett
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Album Rock today.   matthewhollett / Atlas Obscura User
Album Rock today.   matthewhollett / Atlas Obscura User
Album Rock in Paul-Émile Miot’s photo, c. 1857–1859.   Paul-Émile Miot/public domain
The trail leading to Album Rock.   matthewhollett / Atlas Obscura User
Approaching the rock and the gazebo.   matthewhollett / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Anyone driving across the island of Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, will notice countless names spray-painted on rocks along the highway. On the very tip of the Great Northern Peninsula, there's an inadvertent monument to the art of scrawling words on rocks. Album Rock takes its name from an unusual photograph of 1850s graffiti artists posing beside their work.

The image was the work of Paul-Émile Miot, a French naval officer and amateur photographer who took some of the earliest photographs of Newfoundland. On one of his first voyages to the island, around 1857 through 1859, he had several shipmates paint the word "ALBUM" in painstakingly precise letters on a large rock in Sacred Bay. One sailor stands thoughtfully atop the rock, while three others pose with impromptu painting equipment, including what appears to be a mop.

As the story goes, Miot intended to use the scene as the cover of an album of his Newfoundland photographs. There's no evidence that the photo was ever used in this way, but for 160 years the landmark has been known as Album Rock.

Though the white words painted on it more than a century ago have long since faded, the name they inspired continues to stick. Today, a small interpretive panel and gazebo beside the rock commemorate Miot's whimsical photograph. 

Related Tags

Rocks Landmarks Graffiti Photography Geology

Know Before You Go

The rock is located on a beach near the community of Ship Cove. From Highway 430, take the exit for St. Lunaire-Griquet, then turn off toward Ship Cove. Album Rock Trail leads from the side of this road down to the beach. In Ship Cove itself, the community center houses a small exhibit about Paul-Émile Miot and early photography in Newfoundland.

Community Contributors

Added By

matthewhollett

Published

October 8, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.matthewhollett.com/blog/album-rock/
Album Rock
Sacred Bay
Raleigh, Newfoundland and Labrador
Canada
51.597, -55.6564
Get Directions

Nearby Places

L'Anse Aux Meadows

Saint Lunaire-Griquet, Newfoundland and Labrador

miles away

Cape Norman Lighthouse

Cook's Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador

miles away

Red Bay, Labrador

Red Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador

Canada

Places 31
Stories 12

Nearby Places

L'Anse Aux Meadows

Saint Lunaire-Griquet, Newfoundland and Labrador

miles away

Cape Norman Lighthouse

Cook's Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador

miles away

Red Bay, Labrador

Red Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador

Canada

Places 31
Stories 12

Related Places

  • Glen Rock

    Glen Rock, New Jersey

    Glen Rock

    The 570-ton boulder that gave a New Jersey town its name.

  • Dolores, Colorado

    Memorial Rock

    A boulder so big and tough, they had to turn it into a landmark.

  • Zuma Rock

    Abuja, Nigeria

    Zuma Rock

    This igneous rock monolith towers above the surrounding landscape just outside the Nigerian capital.

  • Indian Head

    Lincoln, New Hampshire

    Indian Head

    The Old Man of the Mountain’s less-famous, but still beloved little brother is said to resemble a leader of the Abenaki tribe.

  • The Auld Wives Lifts

    Glasgow, Scotland

    Auld Wives Lifts

    Three large boulders covered in mysterious carvings and graffiti.

  • Thalpan Petroglyphs.

    Chilās, Pakistan

    Thalpan Petroglyphs

    Thousands of ancient rock carvings are scattered just off the highway.

  • Golden Jubilee graffito.

    Elora, Ontario

    Golden Jubilee Graffito

    Among the cliffs of the Elora Gorge is an oft-overlooked piece of celebratory graffiti.

  • Names and messages left on the rock by passersby.

    Oakland, California

    Watermelon Rock

    A unique piece of graffiti offers a little slice of local history and mystery.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.