The ALCC operates in a manner similar to that of a specialized task force, undertaking research initiatives by professionals in the field that provide greater knowledge about issues central to the lighthouse community. This has led to better management of these historic structures and their use as assets for the public benefit.

To date, those issues have  included the way the government disposes of lighthouses, the fate of Fresnel lenses, federal financial assistance for  lighthouse preservation, insurance issues, lighthouse visitor policies, educational programming, artifact identification, artifact inventory and collections management, and disaster management preparedness.

CURRENT PUBLICATIONS

ALCC Position Paper: The Future of Historic Optics in U.S. Lighthouses (57k)

ALCC Public Access and Visitor Policy Survey (110k)

Text of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservationon Act of 2000  (33k)

Annotated Bibliography of Children’s Lighthouse Books  (1.05mb)

FRESNEL LENS INITIATIVE

The first National Lighthouse Lens Survey was released in 2001 at the Sixth Maritime Heritage Conference in Wilmington , N.C. It listed more than 400 classical Fresnel lighthouse lenses in the United States, and two pre-Fresnel Lewis-Argand lenses. The inventory was a compilation of databases researched by Mike Vogel of the Buffalo Lighthouse Association and the American Lighthouse Coordinating Committee and by Al and Helen Gademsky of Ohio.

A second edition was released at the ALCC/Buffalo Lighthouse Association/National Park Service lens preservation workshop in Buffalo N.Y. in October 2002. Following that, lighthouse historian and nationally-known lens researcher Tom Tag undertook the compilation of a complete database to serve as the United States entry in a complete global inventory envisioned by the Optics Work Group of the World Lighthouse Society. The new database conforms to standards developed by the Optics Work Group, using an international lens terminology glossary compiled by Mr. Tag with the assistance of other task group members.

Updated listing of all Classical Fresnel Lenses within the United States V.8. (83kb)

HISTORIC LAMP INITIATIVE

Because we feel there are still many historic lamps remaining to be located and identified, this will remain an open and ongoing project. If you have a lamp in your collection, or are aware of any lamps which have yet to be included in the listing, please click here to visit the Lamp Identification Initiative section of this website, where you can download reporting forms, instructions and a number of other unique documents to assist with identification.

Updated listing of all Historic Lighthouse Lamps within the United States V.2.(45k)