A question about Grays Harbor: I know the variration is the uncentered doors, question is how many are estimated to have this error?

Fred can give you the exact numbers, but almost all but a very few were in a range of over #2500 and under #4500, if I remember correctly. The fact that Harry was at the factory when Fred reported the discovery, it probably stopped almost all the rest from being put together the wrong way. There were at most 6000 that had been produced by then, so you can drop 4000 off the total of possible ones. Then given the list that Fred has complied you can eliminate another 4000. Out of the rest of the ones reported (with and without variation) it was running from 1 in 5 to 1 in 10. Lets take the higher figure 1 in 5 or 1/5 of 2000, that would mean approximately 400 or so of the variations.
While I agree with Sean that we probably have no way of knowing the actual total but I don't think any more are being produced with the variation. I feel sure that Harry took care of that problem, while at the factory.
It is just a hunch but I feel it is probably a figure more near 200 to 250.

engbrady

The last compilation is still on the Board in the Collecting Tips Forum. You might have to open up the past 60 days or so (I just checked it. Try 100. My how time flies) to find it, since no new discoveries were reported. Just working from memory (admitedly poor), I think the 200 to 250 number is still pretty fair. A tougher one is how many of the non-standard(?) variations are out there. Only two that were rotated clockwise were reported. Are there even any of the other possible 5 locations?

Fred


[This message has been edited by FredKuhl (edited 03-06-99).]

As you probably remember, in some earlier threads on this subject, Ron Drummer, friend and HL collector, was fortunate enough to find several Gray's Harbor lights with different variations. Since that time Ron has located several more Gray's Harbor lighthouses, one with the upper (lantern room) door directly above the tower door at the base of the lighthouse. I will try to get that information (the #'s, etc.) posted here so it can be included in Fred's tally.

Ron

Thank you for all the responses.
I read through all the previous Gray's Harbor posts and it is all clear as mud. I guess the different starting points and relational sides just got confusing after 20 to 30 messages. The clockwise/counter-clockwise stuff was all strange since I own only digitals and since moving to Seattle I had to throw away my sundail. Anyway John, perhaps you could repost the side by side pictures I saw, but was unable to open, in the previous thread (Gray's Harbor II). Since I have you all here I have another question about a different piece. All the photos I have seen Old Field Point (xmas 98) has a leafless tree and an evergreen tree, yet all the pieces I have seen both trees are evergreens. What is up with that?
Is that another variation or was the photo taken of an artistist proof?
Thanks again for your patience woth a new collector.

Buy ON
Tucker

Promo photos show an earlier version with the Bob Younger leafless tree. (Bob's last design, sigh.) Production models of Old Field Point all have the evergreen.

There is a small red sled (Rosebud?) beneath the evergreen, the sled partially covered by snow and is more visible on some releases than others. If I recall, HL felt the leafless tree might have structural problems when packed or shipped. They replaced each of Bob's tree with the evergreen at their offices in El Cajon before they were shipped to dealers. No reports have ever surfaced of a model obtained by a collector that has the leafless (superior, imo) tree.

At the 2nd Reunion, HL auctioned off a copy of the leafless tree sans model, on a small wooden base.

Again if I remember correctly, the leafless tree model would have been more accurate.

A bizarre incident paralleling the history of these two trees occured in the early morning hours of 2-12-99 at the BoB Younger memorial in Yorba Blanco. Planet Fresnel News Wire issued a brief report: http://www.lighthousekeepers.com/forums/Forum10/HTML/000023.html

When the original maple shrubbery was still in place at the BoB memorial, local resident's claimed that when the wind subsided and all was quiet you can actually hear the tree bark. This was said to be a faint anquished yipping sound, reminiscent of a beaver's cry. Sonic anomaly or a cry from the grave? We'll never know.

May the BoB be with you,
__
/im