Join us to hear lampist James “Jim” Woodword discuss historic lens conservation and his ongoing effort with the Museum’s new First Order Fresnel Lens.

Woodward, one of the few lampists working in America today, has successfully completed over 100 restoration projects including light stations in Assateaque, Virginia, Farralon Island, California and Fire Island, New York. 

First order Fresnel lenses are extremely rare. There are only 39 in the country, three of which are in New England. The only other one in Massachusetts is at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in Edgartown. The lens was invented in the early 1820s by French physicist Augustine-Jean Fresnel. His design concentrated light to cast a beam which could be seen at a much greater distance. On Thacher Island this meant the light could be seen 22 miles at sea, triple the distance of earlier apparatus. The lens in question was built in Paris, France in 1860 and installed on Thacher Island the following year.

It was originally lit by whale oil, then by lard oil, then by kerosene (mineral oil) before inevitably being electrified in 1932. By the time it was decommissioned in the early 1980’s, the Thacher Island lens had illuminated Cape Ann’s waters for over 120 years.

The enormous glass structure stands 10 feet tall and 6 feet in diameter and is comprised of over a thousand prisms set in a bronze frame. It weighs just over a ton and will be installed in the Museum’s Maritime and Fisheries Gallery.