Category Archives: Florida

What Happens If You Break It?

Classic Fresnel Lighthouse Lenses   (Youtube)

artflo_15Another benefit of Facebook (FB), if you subscribe to the right channels, is the notification of new webpages. In this case a friend on Sentinelles des Mer (FB) led me to their webpage in Belgium www.sentinelles-des-mers.be again in French in case you clicked on the first link already.

What a beautiful sight (site?) to see! The page is covered with Fresnel lenses – originals and copies, plus they had links to the original webpage Artworks Florida which you will be happy to know is in English.

 Artworks Florida says:

Fresnel Lens Reproduction and Restoration​

Reproduction –
Artworks Florida custom designs and manufactures historic reproduction Fresnel lenses that were used to illuminate lighthouses in the 1800’s

Restoration –
Artworks Florida designs and manufactures custom lens components used in the restoration of original classic Fresnel lenses

Continue reading What Happens If You Break It?

Mise Tales Twenty-Nine

 

For an update on what a Mise Tale is then please see Mise Tales One.

A beautiful view of the Nazare lighthouse at Praia do Norte outside the Portuguese fishing village of Nazare, Portugal. It is back dropped by what may be the world’s highest surfing wave.Article and photos on the National Post Sports page.

Nazare Lighthouse at Praia do Norte outside the Portuguese fishing village of Nazare
Nazare Lighthouse at Praia do Norte outside the Portuguese fishing village of Nazare

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Is Anybody Interested?

 
Posted: December 2, 2012 – 12:42am from St. Augustine.com
Contributed photo
Doug Anderson, who helped with the donated models, is shown here discussing the hull of the HMS Victory, which he hopes to donate to the museum as a final piece in the full McNally Collection once a qualified modeler is found.
 
 
 
 
Special to The Record

When Katie McNally, from Ontario, N.Y., donated nine model boats to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum in the autumn of 2011, one was held back. It wasn’t finished. It was the hull of the model of the British Ship HMS Victory, and it was being completed by her husband James G. (Jim) McNally, Jr. when he passed on in 2005.

The model ended up in the hands of the family friend, Doug Anderson, of Marsh Creek, who gave much of his time, driving and arranging the prior model ship donations to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, St. Augustine’s only Smithsonian Affiliate Museum. . . . more

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The museum is looking for a volunteer modeler or modelers to take the unfinished hull in Anderson’s possession and complete it during the museum’s public hours. The volunteer or volunteers will be requested to work on the model and, at the same time, talk to the public about model building, why it is important to museums, and how it helps inform those who study ships and Atlantic Navigation. “There is much more to the art and craft of model building” than you can imagine, said museum curator Kathleen McCormick. The modelers can select from a variety of upcoming dates during the Sea Your History Weekends program funded by the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council.

For information or tickets, go to the museum’s website at www.staugustinelighthouse.org.

If you are interested in helping to use your expertise as a modeler for the museum, during a Sea Your History Weekend, and would like to discuss the details please give a call to Loni Wellman, at 829-0745.

 Impressive collection

The remarkable collection of ship models was donated as a study and exhibition collection by Katie McNally at the urging and with the support of her friend Doug Anderson. The model collection has been very popular with guests and very useful to archaeologists and educators when explaining the size and use of ships in St. Augustine, which is often misunderstood.

Archaeologists use ship models to help them study ship construction and they are useful to the public in understanding the size and shapes of vessels for different uses.

For example, the Chalpua was the work boat of St. Augustine, and was about 25 feet to 38 feet for use in local waters. Larger vessels like caravels, Nau’s or Galleon’s sailed by but usually did not anchor here in these shallow waters. Another example is that you can study the rigging of ships models to understand how differently rigged sails pull ships in different directions, and could for example have changed the landing site of Ponce de Leon when he located Florida. Museum archaeologists use ship models to tell authentic stories, and to explain the complex details of maritime navigation.

Today the Lighthouse and Museum is studying the British and the American Revolutionary period through diving on a wreck off shore, that comes from around 1782, when the British Fleet was helping to evacuate Charleston, S.C. The HMS Victory is a model of a famous British Vessel, probably much larger than the wreck in question, but maybe not. A variety of ships were used and many of them could not make it into the harbor.

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Reprint – Restoring Canaveral Light – Brick by Brick!

 

Restoring Canaveral Light – Brick by Brick!

 

The mission statement of the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation is  “To Assist the 45th Space Wing in preserving, protecting, and interpreting the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse and its historical significance to the Florida Space Coast, State of Florida, and our Nation.” The US Air Force owns and maintains Cape Canaveral Light, but the Foundation exists to be of assistance in its restoration and to share its remarkable history.

In many ways Cape Canaveral and the Lighthouse is a bridge between the age of exploration and exploration yet to come; a bridge between the sea and the stars!

On October 13th, 2012 I attended a gathering at the Canaveral Lighthouse with my father to celebrate the progress having been made on the restoration of this special and significant beacon. Although, we had visited the light by special permission a couple of years ago in order to photograph, I did not then have the opportunity to see the interior of the tower. Saturday, October 13th, could not have been a more perfect day to gather, discuss goals, walk the newly built Keeper’s Brick Paver Walkway, and climb!! I have to say right here that I was amazed that my 88 year old father was able to navigate the stairs better than I did!  The metal lighthouse is lined with brick and the winding stairs curl upwards around a center pole with no hand railing along the brick walls. Of course, it was probably because I was lugging my heavy camera!! Probably!! Continue reading Reprint – Restoring Canaveral Light – Brick by Brick!

Reprint – Cape Canaveral Light – Warden of the Sea, Launchpad to the Stars!

 

The following story is the first of two parts on the Cape Canaveral lighthouse by Judy Lovell, a photographer extraordinaire, who runs a WordPress blog called Janthina Images.

Besides this article, and the one following, please view her image gallery on her website as well. In the gallery she has some lovely photos of Florida lighthouses with prints available for sale. Enjoy, and drop by her website occasionally for different articles. If you wish to view the image gallery as a slideshow, please click here.

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Cape Canaveral Light – Warden of the Sea, Launchpad to the Stars!

They fill that night with Knowledge. A thousand ships go by,
A thousand captains bless them, so bright and proud and high:
The world’s dark capes they glamour; or low on sand banks dread,
They, crouching, mark a pathway between the Quick and Dead —
Like star points in the ether
They bring the seamen ease,
These Lords of Wind and Weather
These Wardens of the Seas!

…Edwin James Brady…

Lighthouses have long stood at the edges of the world, lonely outposts maintained by devoted souls to ensure the safety of ships at sea. But, only one remarkable beacon was destined to illuminate the path for ships of space! But how did this happen? How did a lighthouse built on a hook of sand jutting out into the Atlantic to protect mariners from dangerous currents become a front row witness to the advent of the Space Age?

Rocket Launch with Canaveral Lighthouse is courtesy NASA Continue reading Reprint – Cape Canaveral Light – Warden of the Sea, Launchpad to the Stars!

Reprint – Christmas Tree Lighthouse

Do you want to save a lighthouse? Do you like lighthouse Christmas ornaments? This article might appeal to you. It appeals to me because it is another way to raise money to save a lighthouse. If you look on this website, there are many more ideas too.

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Christmas tree lighthouse

Reprinted with permission from Tim Croft of The Star

First published July 26, 2012 11:58 AM

Lighthouse ornament

The St. Joseph Historical Society (Port St. Joe, Florida) is encouraging folks to put a touch of lighthouse under the Christmas tree this year.

As part of a fund-raising effort in its quest to save the Cape San Blas Lighthouse from the wrath of Mother Nature, the Historical Society is selling a gorgeous brass-and-silver colored replica of the lighthouse in the form of a Christmas ornament.

Cape Blas lighthouse

Each ornament costs the Historical Society $10 – Cape San Blas Lighthouse is emblazoned across the top-front of the ornament, St Joseph Historical Society on the lower back – to produce.

Members of the SJBHS are selling each ornament for $20, with the other $10 going directly toward the fundraising pot to save the lighthouse. Continue reading Reprint – Christmas Tree Lighthouse