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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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| The East End Seaport also has a Fourth
Order lens on display. Be sure to visit these two lenses in person. For more information,
visit www.eastendseaport.org or call the
museum at 631-477-2100. Return to the Lens and Lamp Research Page. |
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Copyright © 2001 Long Island Chapter, USLHS |