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American Lighthouse Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 565
Rockland,
Maine 04841
207-594-4174
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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A news conference
regarding the following press release was held at the Maine Lighthouse
Museum on December 13, 2006…
Consolidation Will Create America’s Largest
Lighthouse Museum
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Rockland, ME. The Maine
Lighthouse Museum (MLM) in Rockland and the American Lighthouse Foundation
(ALF), the national leader in lighthouse preservation, have announced a
groundbreaking collaboration. ALF has |
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become a full
partner in the Maine Lighthouse Museum and will be moving its corporate
offices to the museum along with its extraordinary artifact collection.
According to
Renny Stackpole, Chairman of the Maine Lighthouse Museum, this coming
January the American Lighthouse Foundation will begin the process of
consolidating the |
Photo by Ann-Marie Trapani
(L to R) MLM Chairman Renny Stackpole,
ALF President Tim Harrison, MLM
Founder Ken Black, MLM General
Manager Bob Hastings &
ALF Executive Director Bob Trapani
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organization’s
outstanding artifact collection from their Museum of Lighthouse History in
Wells, Maine, with the exhibits at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland.
The collaborative
effort brings together two of the nation’s finest exhibits of lighthouse
artifacts and forms an unprecedented collection of classical lenses and
lighthouse equipment, as well as rare lightkeeper mementoes |
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Photo by Ann-Marie Trapani
"It's fair to say that Rockland has now
become the center of the lighthouse world." - Bob Hastings
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and uniforms.
In addition, the combined collection will boast some of the most
compelling human interest stories and their paralleling artifacts, all
of which pay tribute to the dedicated men, women and children who helped
keep the lights shining bright along America’s coastlines for over two
centuries.
“The merging
of these two lighthouse museums may well be one of the defining moments
in modern lighthouse history,” says Timothy Harrison, president of the
American Lighthouse Foundation. “The partnership between MLM and ALF
will truly make the Maine Lighthouse Museum the largest and most
important lighthouse museum in the |
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United States, if not the world.” Bob Hastings, who will now become the
museum’s general manager, stated that “The Maine Lighthouse Museum is a
nationally recognized collaborative effort of nine of Maine’s premier
non-profit organizations working with the City of Rockland to preserve,
display and enhance the nation’s most significant collection of lighthouse
and lifesaving artifacts and lenses.”
The consolidation
also brings full circle the amazing contributions of Ken Black, founder of
MLM and the individual widely credited for starting the lighthouse
preservation movement in the United States, with that of Timothy Harrison,
founder of the Museum of Lighthouse History. Mr. |
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Black served
as a mentor and friend to Mr. Harrison and was the inspiration behind
Harrison’s efforts to create the Museum of Lighthouse History, which
formerly housed the largest collection of lightkeeper artifacts in the
country.
Ken Black, who
is affectionately known as "Mr. Lighthouse" by lighthouse enthusiasts
around the country, couldn't be happier about the museums coming
together. According to Black, "This is more than I could have ever
imagined. It is very gratifying to know that after so many years of
working hard to save America's lighthouse artifacts from being lost
forever that this commitment will now be carried |
Photo by Ann-Marie Trapani
MLM Founder Ken Black and his wife Dot
Black helped spearhead the collaboration of both museums
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forward stronger
than ever through the combined efforts of MLM and ALF. Wow!"
Ken's wife Dot
Black shares her husbands enthusiasm, noting "As you can imagine, I have a
strong desire to protect Ken's many contributions to our nation's lighthouse
heritage and therefore I am simply ecstatic that we will have management of
the museum by lighthouse enthusiasts who will ensure this legacy is
perpetuated for future generations."
“The consolidation
of the two museums is not only exciting for artifact conservation, but also
for lighthouse preservation – and at a time when it is needed most
throughout the nation,” says Bob Trapani, Jr., executive director of the
American Lighthouse Foundation. The organization presently has 23 historic
lighthouses under its stewardship that the group is actively working to
restore and maintain.
In addition to his
duties as executive director for ALF, Trapani has been appointed the new
director of the Maine Lighthouse Museum and will oversee both the day-to-day
operations and consolidated collections.
Trapani went on to
note, “This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to bring together the very best
in historic lighthouses, priceless artifacts and unmatched camaraderie and
energy that will foster a stronger and broader interest nationwide in
safeguarding every aspect of America’s rich lighthouse heritage.”
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Photo by Ann-Marie Trapani
"This may be the biggest
news in modern
lighthouse history."
- Timothy Harrison
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Photo by Ann-Marie Trapani
"If the Fresnel lenses
(in MLM's collection)
are the heart of a lighthouse, what ALF's collection will add is
the soul"
- Bob Trapani, Jr.
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Photo by Ann-Marie Trapani
Maine Lighthouse Museum Board of Directors
and American Lighthouse Foundation
representatives gathered for a group photo
after
the big announcement in Rockland
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FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bob Hastings,
General Manager, Maine Lighthouse Museum
207-596-0376
Bob Trapani,
Executive Director, American Lighthouse Museum
(207) 594-4174
To learn more
about the Maine Lighthouse Museum, visit
www.mainelighthousemuseum.com
To learn more
about the American Lighthouse Foundation, email
info@lighthousefoundation.org
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Posted: 12/14/06 |
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