Lighthouses, Aids to Navigation

   The need of lighted beacons to guide water craft along the coasts must have suggested itself to mankind as soon as there was much venturing upon the water. The lofty Pharos of Alexandria, near the mouth of the Nile, was completed under Ptolemy II, about 280 B.C. In height and fame it has never been surpassed by any other lighthouse and is considered one of the seven wonders of the world. Many of the world’s early lighthouses may have looked like this Roman lighthouse that still stands in Dover, England.:

(from Lighthouses, US Coast Guard, by Dr. Robert Browning, Historian. See link below)

   Today, ships navigate with the aid of modern devices. Global Positioning Satellites, Loran and Radar have eliminated the need for lighthouses. However, the romantic in us will not give them up entirely. Many of the worlds' lighthouses are automated, and are still useful to guiding small craft. And if the electronic aids ever give out, it's nice to know that one can look out and see that bright beacon guiding you towards the shore.

   Many lighthouses are under the protection of historical and preservation societies and the National Park Service, while the automated lights are maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. Many have been auctioned off to private citizens.

   Here are some excellent links for more information on Lighthouses:

LIGHTHOUSES

Internet Public Library Lighthouses A Photographic Journey