posted 07-06-1998 10:29 PM            

First order Fresnel lens' are not exactly commonplace. And they're HUGE - big enough to walk around on the inside (six-feet wide by 12 feet tall).

If your acquaintance has enough money to buy a 1st order lens they have enough money to get a reproduction made. Better yet - donate the money to some lights in need of lens repair - they'll be happy to put up a plaque noting the generosity of the donor and we'll all be the better for 'em.

Acquiring one deprives the lighthouse to which it belongs.

posted 07-07-1998 10:38 AM           

JTimothyA - We understand your comment about depriving the lighthouse of it's lens, as you know, it's hard enough to keep the lighthouses and lenses we have considering our governments attitude. My friend's and I would only do this if it was a lens that would otherwise not be available to the public or wanted by a lighthouse preservation; such as the first order lens in downtown Cambria, California that was saved from destruction a few years ago by the towns people. Also, the folks who are looking are very large contributors to lighthouse preservation. All four of us take our national heritage very seriously; especially our lighthouses. We even had an antique dealer tell us that if Hatteras goes down he might be able to get ahold of at least part of the lens. I don't even want to tell you what I said to him; I am afraid I lost hold of the fact that I am a lady when he told me that. If we ever hear of that happening, we will post his name and phone number to the lighthouse community to go into action. You are probably asking, so why is Hatteras different - simply because we know that there are enough of us out there who care that this would never be allowed to happen. Unfortunately this is not always the case, as was the situation of the lens in Cambria.

We realize that the availability of an American light is probably next to impossible. We have already determined that if one is available it will probably be from somewhere else in the world, possibly eastern Europe. We will do nothing unless we know that the lens we may someday find will otherwise not be put to good use, ie, our world heritage of lighthouses, education, etc.

We hope this makes you guys feel better about us. We take our heritage VERY seriously. Otherwise we wouldn't plan every vacation we take around a lighthouse.