American Lighthouse Foundation

American Lighthouse Foundation

American Lighthouse Foundation

American Lighthouse Foundation

American Lighthouse Foundation

American Lighthouse Foundation

American Lighthouse Foundation

American Lighthouse Foundation

American Lighthouse Foundation

American Lighthouse Foundation

 Dedicated to Saving America's Lighthouses and Their History

 

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American Lighthouse Foundation

 American Lighthouse Foundation, Inc.

P.O. Box 565

Rockland, Maine 04841

Phone: 207-594-4174

Fax: 207-596-1091

info@lighthousefoundation.org

 

The American Lighthouse Foundation is a  Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Organization dedicated to the

preservation of America's historic lighthouses & lightships and

their heritage.

 

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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

Tim Harrison & Bob Trapani

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

 
 

Lou Marc-Aurele

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

Kathleen Finnegan and Ann-Marie Trapani

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.

 

~ Learn how you too can volunteer at the

   Museum of Lighthouse History.

 

~ Visit the Museum of Lighthouse History!

 

Preparing the Museum of Lighthouse History

for the 2005 Season...

 

 
 

Bob Trapani

Photo by Ann-Marie Trapani       

 

Before the new exhibits could be assembled some spring cleaning and painting had to be done...Bob Trapani works on painting

display shelves

 
 

Lou & Carol Marc-Aurele

each helped prepare the

Museum for visitors

 

Lou & Carol Marc-Aurele

Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.      

 

 
 

Kathleen Finnegan & Tim Harrison

Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.       

 

Kathleen Finnegan & Tim Harrison begin reestablishing Museum exhibit following the spring cleaning

 

 
 

Ann-Marie Trapani works carefully to clean a model of Nubble Light created by Don Perkins

Ann-Marie Trapani

Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.      

 

 
 

Tim Harrison

Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.      

Tim Harrison replaces the

 lamp in a model of Boon

Island Lighthouse

Bob Trapani

Photo by Ann-Marie Trapani       

Bob Trapani gets help putting lighthouse patches into a display from his three children - Katrina,

Dominic & Nina

 
     
       
       
 

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©2007 American Lighthouse Foundation, Inc.

P.O. Box 565 - Rockland, ME 04841

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