Ed Metcalf is from Winthrop, Massachusetts, on the north side of Boston Harbor. He served as a police officer in Winthrop, and he then worked for the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. He became the game warden on Nantucket, Massachusetts, in 1974, and he still lives there today. Born in 1933, his memories reach back… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 352: Ed Metcalf’s memories of Boston Harbor and its lighthouses in the 1950s and ‘60s

This is an edited version of an interview with Jem Finer that was first heard in June 2020. In an area of London known as the Docklands is a part of the waterfront known as the Trinity Buoy Wharf. On the wharf is London’s only lighthouse. The lighthouse at the Trinity Buoy Wharf was never… Continue reading Light Hearted Lite #42 – Jem Finer: London’s Trinity Buoy Wharf Lighthouse and “Longplayer”

Shane Avenius, a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate New York, has long been interested in lighthouses and 3D printing. This summer he interned at Formlabs, one of the world’s largest 3D printer manufacturers. After visiting Highland Lighthouse on Cape Cod and seeing a fourth-order lens in the museum there, he got the Idea… Continue reading Light Hearted Live #11: Shane Avenius and his amazing Fresnel lenses

Lake Sunapee covers more than 4,000 acres in west-central New Hampshire, adjacent to Mount Sunapee State Park. The lake contains 11 islands and three lighthouses, which were built in the late 1800s during the steamboat era on the lake. A number of large resort hotels and private estates lined the lake’s shores in that era.… Continue reading Light Hearted 351 – Midge Eliassen and the Lighthouses of Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire

This episode features edited audio from our “Light Hearted Live” episode of August 19. Our guest, Anastasia Makarova, is from Russia and now lives in Slovenia. She is a lighthouse tour guide, club founder, writer, lecturer, and magazine editor – among other things! She’s also a singer, songwriter, and guitarist who has recorded four albums.… Continue reading Light Hearted Live #10 (audio edition) – Pharologist Anastasia Makarova

This is an edited version of an interview that was first heard in May 2021. The guest is Kirby Eldridge, a former Coast Guard lighthouse keeper. Kirby was one of the two last keepers of Boon Island Light Station, which is about seven miles off the coast of southern Maine. Kirby and the other keeper… Continue reading Light Hearted Lite #41 – Kirby Eldridge, keeper at Boon Island, Maine

Boston Light Station in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts, holds an honored place among America’s lighthouses. It was established in 1716 as the first light station on the continent. It’s also one of a small number of lighthouses to achieve designation as a National Historic Landmark. This past week, it was announced that the light station will… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 350: Boston Light special

Jazmina Barrera, a native of Mexico City, is an award-winning author. Her book On Lighthouses is equal parts personal memoir, literary history, and observations on lighthouses. The book was published in Spanish in 2017 and translated into English in 2020. “Barrera’s obsession is contagious. Her graceful sentences ensnare tidbits of history and tantalizing glimpses of… Continue reading Light Hearted Live! #8 – Author Jazmina Barrera (audio edition)

Walter Sedovic has dedicated his career to sustainable preservation. With more than two dozen lighthouse projects in his portfolio, Walter is one of the foremost authorities on the analysis, preservation, and stewardship of our nation’s heritage lighthouses, their technology, and the significant environmental concerns related to their locations.  This is the audio from a livestream… Continue reading Light Hearted Live #7 – Historic preservation architect Walter Sedovic (audio edition)