Photo by George Bacon. |
The second order Fresnel lens on display at the East
End Seaport Maritime Museum cast a light from the lantern room at Little Gull Island from
1869 to 1995. Of all of the major orders of lenses used in US lighthouses, the second
order was the rarest. This fixed-light lens is in very good condition. Unfortunately, when this lens was reassembled at the museum, many of the
bolts were changed to modern standard bolts. The threads used on the early lens frames
were not standardized; manufacturers made their own bolts with nonstarndard threads.This
causes difficulties for modern lens restorers, as it did here. Nonetheless, this is a fine
example of the second largest standard lens used in US lighthouses. Its position in the
museum near a Fourth Order lens gives the observer a perspective on size differences
between the different orders.
This lens is a must-see for lighthouse fans living on, or
visiting, Long Island.
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