In 1789, the French Revolution broke out, putting an end to the monarchy. In the years that followed, attempts were made to eradicate every symbol of the Ancien Régime. Contrary to what one might think, the Cordouan lighthouse was once again the focus of attention under the Reign of Terror (1793–94). First, this was because it was an important symbol of the monarchy, whose traces had to be eliminated. In this spirit, in 1793 it was decided to remove "all royal effigies and obliterate all inscriptions" in the lighthouse. Only "the bust in the niche at the entrance to the lower room" was left intact, because it was too large and too heavy to transport. Nevertheless, during this same time, large-scale works were underway at Cordouan. The engineer Joseph Teulère lived at the lighthouse during efforts to raise the lighthouse and install a new reflector light. Teulère's correspondence with his friend Guy-Louis Combes, a Bordeaux architect, shows his interest in the country's changing political situation, his support for the establishment of the Republic as well as a certain frustration at being "lost at sea" while such important events were taking place. During this period of upheaval, the image of Cordouan was transformed – efforts to eliminate the lighthouse's symbolic dimension were twinned with works aimed at improving its utilitarian aspect.
