The Golden Age of American Lighthouses: A Nostalgic Look at U.S. Lights from 1850 to 1939

by Tim Harrison, Ray Jones

A richly illustrated history of American lighthouses chronicles the story of the U.S. Lighthouse Service from 1850 to 1939, detailing the construction and modernization of lights around the U.S. and the day-to-day work and existence of lighthouse keepers and their families. Original.

169 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2002

Reviews

[Cathy Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

First Line: Every form of human enterprise has passed through a halcyon epoch fondly remembered as a "golden age."

Tim Harrison (publisher and editor of Lighthouse Digest magazine and president of the American Lighthouse Foundation) and Ray Jones (writer or co-writer of many books about lighthouses) know their stuff. They've compiled an impressive collection of vintage photographs and fascinating history that will make any lover of lighthouses smile.

Not only are the lighthouses themselves showcased, but the work lives and day-to-day existence of lighthouse keepers and their families are also discussed. Being a lighthouse lover myself, I greatly enjoyed this book, although I do have one small quibble with it: the vast majority of lighthouses mentioned in this book are on the Eastern seaboard, and in particular, New England.

Although I would have preferred more mentions of lighthouses on the West coast, this is a wonderful compilation of photos and history that would be a welcome addition to any lighthouse lover's library.

[Josh Liller · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is pretty much just a picture book, something that isn't obvious from the cover. The vast majority of the photos coming from light stations in New England and New York. There are lots of lighthouses in the northeast, but as someone who lives in the southeast I'm finding lighthouse literature to be frustratingly northeast-centric even when presented on a national level.

It's a large size book with great photos so it's certainly got some value.