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This unique 1870s photo showing a close up of the lantern room provides a nice view of the gigantic 1st order Fresnel lens that was once in the tower. The keeper is shown balancing one foot on the catwalk’s outer railing and the other foot on the lower window sill as he was applying glycol antifreeze to the window at Gay Head Lighthouse to prevent ice and snow from sticking to the glass and obstructing the lights beam. The person on the lower catwalk is shown peering through a hand–held telescope, which was probably staged for this photo. To learn more about the lighthouse we would recommend the book, Gay Head Lighthouse, The First Light on Martha’s Vineyard by William Waterway, which is available for purchase from Lighthouse Digest (item #2157). The first order lens that was once in the tower at Gay Head is now on display on the grounds of Martha’s Vineyard Museum on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
This story appeared in the
Sep/Oct 2014 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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