Working Behind the Scenes to Share Our
Lighthouse Heritage
The Museum of Lighthouse History “tells a story” about America’s lighthouse
heritage that is unique, educational and fun. No other museum in the country
exhibits such a diverse collection of U.S. Lighthouse Service / U.S. Coast
Guard artifacts, memorabilia and human interest accounts of the valor and
lives of the keepers than the Museum of Lighthouse History, which is owned
and operated by the nonprofit American Lighthouse Foundation. From historic
lenses and USLHS dinnerware to the legacy of the heroes and heroines who
kept the lights shining through storms, war and life’s changes, the
Museum is
Photo by Ann-Marie Trapani
(L to R) Tim Harrison & Bob
Trapani move a fiberglass lighthouse model
inside the Museum
both a superb educational experience and fun for the entire family.
Visitors to the Museum of Lighthouse History in 2005 will be able to learn
how the grand ladies of the lights – Abbie Burgess, Ida Lewis and Connie
Small, kept their guiding lights burning bright under the most trying of
conditions to help save mariners at sea. Other educational exhibits teach
about the multi-faceted operation of the U.S. Lighthouse Service through
artifacts ranging from equipment, uniforms, historic imagery and of course –
the timeless stories conveyed firsthand by the keepers themselves.
In all, the Museum of Lighthouse History has nearly 1,000 items on display,
with another 2,000 in its collection that space restraints prohibit
frombeing exhibited. The lighthouse community can take extreme pride in the
fact that the Museum is dedicated to saving and interpreting such a
wide-range
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Lou Marc-Aurele works on providing
electric for lanterns and museum display cases
of our lighthouse heritage, but the end result of viewing the collection
and exhibits doesn’t nearly tell the whole story of what it takes to
acquire, conserve, exhibit and interpret such a large collection of
artifacts.
As time consuming as the researching of available artifacts is and the
ability to identify funds to acquire the items for the ever-
growing collection, the most challenging aspects of preserving and
interpreting our lighthouse heritage in the Museum is the creation of
exhibits and the maintenance of the collection in a clean and orderly
fashion. From tearing down old exhibits to building new displays that can
weigh anywhere from 50 to 500 pounds, the work is both a physically and
mentally taxing endeavor.
Even when all the display cases are in place, the job of exhibiting
lighthouse artifacts is hardly finished. Then comes the tedious cleaning
process that includes removing grime, dust and fingerprints from the glass
display cases and countless pieces of delicate artifacts. Sweeping the
carpets clean, readying the restroom facilities and ensuring the coffee
bar are ready are yet more facets of the preparation work required
before opening the Museum to the public for a new season.
Thanks to the dedication of American Lighthouse Foundation volunteers,
this
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
(L to R) Kathleen Finnegan and
Ann-Marie Trapani ready
display cases for new exhibits
daunting work has been completed just in time to welcome lighthouse
enthusiasts, vacationers and historians for the 2005 summer season. The
Museum’s volunteer corps put in long hours of tedious and arduous labor to
ensure that the thousands of people who will visit the Museum of Lighthouse
History this year will obtain the finest fun-learning experience possible.
Without such a commitment from ALF’s volunteers, the opportunity to share
America’s lighthouse heritage with the public would not be possible – for
“sending out the light” requires more than simply turning the lights on and
opening the doors.
The American Lighthouse Foundation would like to thank the following members
for their many contributions to helping the Museum of Lighthouse History
open for public visitation in 2005: Kathleen Finnegan, Tim Harrison, Lee
Leighton, Dee Leveille, Lou & Carol Marc-Aurele, Ann-Marie & Bob Trapani and Nina,
Katrina and Dominic Trapani.
