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1747. Mattson, Jan. CALIFORNIA LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS – A Look at Lighthouse Life Through the Eyes of the People Who Lived It. Goat Rock. 2016. 144p. Stiff wraps. 8 ½” x 10 ½”. Filled with photos, many never before published, of lighthouse keepers and family members. In the late 1940’s the author’s relative, a talented painter and professional photographer, began photographing the keepers tending their apparatus at nearby light stations and soon had compiled a photographic history of the life at stations up and down the coast of California from San Diego to Cape Mendocino. These wonderful black and white images present a rare view into the light keeper’s life when their work was still a necessity. No matter what part of the country you are from, these views of the men and women tending their equipment and their stories will surely be of interest. (M). Published at $29.95. Our price $28. 

1954. (photo) Point Cabrillo Lighthouse c.1975. Rare close clear press photo shows nice view of the 1856 light station at Point Cabrillo near Crescent City, California. At the time of the photo, the island was 200 feet offshore but could be accessed at low tide. Photo is dated March 22, 1975 and measures  8” x 10”. Includes date and some description on back. Great detail. (VG). $38.

21468b. Twohy, John and George Mattson. CALIFORNIA’S LIGHT STATIONS AND OTHER AIDS TO NAVIGATION c.1950. Jenner. 2001. 96p. Soft wraps 8 ½” x 11”. In the late 1940’s the authors, both talented painters and professional photographers, began photographing the keepers tending their apparatus at nearby light stations and soon had compiled a photographic history of the life at stations up and down the coast of California from San Diego to Cape Mendocino. The authors included too the lightships, tenders as well as the keepers and their families. These wonderful black and white images present a rare view into the light keeper’s life when their work was still a necessity. No matter what part of the country you are from, these views of the men and women tending their equipment will surely be of interest. (M).  $21.50.

1975i. (photo) San Luis Obispo Lighthouse c.1957. Clear, close official Coast Guard photo measures 8” x 10” and shows great detail of the San Luis Obispo Lighthouse possibly in the 1950’s. Photo is b/w, unusually clear and close view. (F-). $28.

1933. (photo) Keeper John Kunder, Farallon Island Light Station c.1929. Close clear press photo shows Principal Keeper John Kunder taking a smoke at the tramway an the light station. According to lighthousefriends.com: “John Kunder served two stints as head keeper on the Farallons, and there were times when he didn’t leave the island for four years straight! With no churches, stores, telephones, or electric lights, the isolated community was living in a different era than those on the mainland. This changed when a radio receiver was installed at the naval radio station. “It is our godsend, our light,” said Keeper Kunder in 1929, referring to the radio. Prior to the radio, opening mail every week or so was a highly anticipated event.” Keeper Kinder served two periods at Farallon Island, one from 1914-1920, and the second from about 1924 until at least 1930. Photo measures 8” x 10 and is clear and clean. Photo is b/w and includes credit line and description on back. Dated August 17, 1929. Some white re-touching of image around his head. (VG+). $58

(photo courtesy New York Public Library not included)

SR-529-2. (pay voucher) U.S. Light-House Establishment. Appropriation for Salaries of Keeper, Farallone Island Light Station c.1870. Original pay voucher filled in hand for 1st assist Keeper Frank Roper (1869 – 1871) and signed in hand by him as well as Principal Keeper Thomas Tasker (1861 – 1871). Dated March 31, 1870. This rare document measures 6 ½” x 8” and is overall clean with one original fold. Form was used to process payment for Keepers and served as a signed receipt upon delivering such payment. Superb early piece of Light House Establishment history and would make a great addition to any collection or display. (VG). $78.

SR-529-3. (pay voucher) U.S. Light-House Establishment. Appropriation for Salaries of Keeper, Farallone Island Light Station c.1870. Original pay voucher filled in hand for Assistant Keeper A.J. Honell (…1870…) and signed in hand by him as well as Principal Keeper Thomas Tasker (1861 – 1871). Dated June 30, 1870. This rare document measures 6 ½” x 8” and is overall clean with one original fold. Form was used to process payment for Keepers and served as a signed receipt upon delivering such payment. Superb early piece of Light House Establishment history and would make a great addition to any collection or display. (VG). $78.

(image not included)

1650-8. Light-House Establishment. Specifications for a Fourth-Order Light-House and Keeper's Dwelling at Entrance to The Straits of Karquines, California. August 1872. [Washington, DC]: GPO, 1872. 6 x 9". 22 pages. K[C]arquinez Strait Lighthouse was approximately 20 miles inland from the mouth of the San Francisco Bay near Vallejo, California. The United States Lighthouse Board later realized that a light positioned offshore near the junction of the strait and river would better serve navigation in the area. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1951 and an automated beacon and fog signal were placed on the pier. After years of neglect, which included the smashing of the lens by vandals, the building was saved by investors who moved the residence to the Glen Cove Marina in Vallejo, California. Included are specifications for the excavation and grading, brick-work, cut stone, plastering, floor, drains, carpenter’s work, oil room, iron work and more. Also includes fold-out proposal, bidding, agreement forms, etc. This pamphlet originally accompanied a set of drawings (not present). Complete, wraps present, chipped and some soiling, worn at spine but still unusually good condition. Rare important booklet. (VG-). $125.

15253. Towers, Guy. St. George Reef Lighthouse. Arcadia 2015. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 200 vintage photographs. Situated at the end of a reef six miles offshore of Crescent City, California, stands St. George Reef Lighthouse. Constructed after the wreck of the coastal steamer Brother Jonathan in 1865, the beacon warned mariners of the dreaded “Dragon Rocks” of St. George Reef for nearly a century. This book chronicles the loss of the Jonathan, decades of efforts to make the light a reality, the 10-year construction period, manning of the station by keepers of the US Lighthouse Service and Coast Guard, and the struggles and accomplishments of dedicated volunteers to restore what many lighthouse historians refer to as “America’s greatest lighthouse.” This compact volume features numerous early photographs dating from the 1870’s to the present, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published, and traces the history of this light station through photos and text. Filled with early views. (M). $21.99.

15255. (glass negative) U.S. Life-Saving Crew with Dobbins Lifeboat, San Francisco c.1911. Original Large Format 4” x 5" antique glass plate negative shows marvelous detail of the U.S. Life Saving Service lifeboat being pulled by a team of horses. The image is taken outside the U.S. Life Saving Station located at the western end of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park as a second photographer snaps an image from across the street. The Golden Gate Park Life-Saving Station, behind the photographer in this image was a one-of-a-kind station with buildings designed by architects J. Lake Parkinson and John G. Pelton. This glass negative derives from the Wyland Stanley Collection of San Francisco historical memorabilia which included thousands of original photographs and antique negatives. The entire collection was purchased by Marilyn Blaisdell in the late 1970s. Image is clear and close but has one crack in the upper left. Despite this the negative will make wonderful prints. Glass plate negative has been scanned as a positive to show image detail. (VG-). $85. 

15256. (glass negative) U.S. Life-Saving Crew with Surfboat at Shipwreck, San Francisco c.1911. Original Large Format 5” x 7" antique glass plate negative shows marvelous detail of the U.S. Life Saving Service surfboat at the scene of a large shipwreck as throngs of onlookers view the scene. The image is taken near the U.S. Life Saving Station located at the western end of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The Golden Gate Park Life-Saving Station was a one-of-a-kind station with buildings designed by architects J. Lake Parkinson and John G. Pelton. This glass negative derives from the Wyland Stanley Collection of San Francisco historical memorabilia which included thousands of original photographs and antique negatives. The entire collection was purchased by Marilyn Blaisdell in the late 1970s. Image is clear and close and will make wonderful prints. Glass plate negative has been scanned as a positive to show image detail. (VG+). $155. 

27136a,b. (photo) Yerba Buena Lighthouse, San Francisco, California c.1957. Official Coast Guard photo of the lighthouse lit with floodlights. The lighthouse was built in 1874, mainly to serve passenger boats and ferries between Oakland and San Francisco . Once the Oakland-Bay Bridge opened in the late 1930s, the decision was made to keep the lighthouse operational due to increased shipping traffic in the Bay. In 1957 the light tower was lit with floodlights to make it more visible to mariners. The lighthouse was automated in 1958. To this day, the lighthouse still retains its original fourth-order Fresnel lens and is still an active aid to navigation. 8” x 10” b/w image provides close, clear view at night. Includes detailed information about the light and keepers in press release on obverse. Dated January 14, 1957. Close, clear, just a bit of wrinkling from moisture to the back.  (VG). $58.

15213. (glass negative) U.S. Life-Saving Station, San Francisco, Aviator Robert Grant Fowler – Cole Flyer Airplane c.1911. Original Large Format 5" x 7" Antique Glass Plate Negative shows marvelous detail of the "Cole Flyer" airplane taken outside the U.S. Life Saving Station located at the western end of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Numerous spectators seen gathered around this historic plane. "Robert Grant Fowler (August 10, 1884 – June 15, 1966) was an early aviation pioneer and was the first person to make a west-to-east transcontinental flight in stages. He left San Francisco, California on September 11, 1911 in an attempt to win the Hearst prize in a Wright biplane equipped with a Cole Motor Car Company engine. After his first day he crashed in Alta, California. His cross-country flight was finally completed February 8, 1912, in Jacksonville, Florida. The Golden Gate Park Life-Saving Station seen in the image was a one-of-a-kind station with buildings designed by architects J. Lake Parkinson and John G. Pelton. The Cole Flyer aircraft is shown in front of the lifeboat-house/stable in the center of the station. The three-story house/kitchen building would be to the left, and seen at the right in the image is the main station surfboat building. The tower in the center is the water tower for the station. This glass negative derives from the Wyland Stanley Collection of San Francisco historical memorabilia which included thousands of original photographs and antique negatives. The entire collection was purchased by Marilyn Blaisdell in the late 1970s. Image is clear and close and will make wonderful prints. (VG+). $195. 

15186. (photo) Mile Rock Lighthouse, San Francisco, Cal., Keepers “Toast Repeal of Prohibition” c.1933. Clear close press photo shows great detail as the three Keepers at Mile Rock Lighthouse “Toast Repeal of Prohibition”. Because rules prohibit any liquor from being brought into a light station, the Keepers couldn’t toast the repeal in their favorite spirits, so they used water instead. Shown are 1st Assistant Keeper L.A. Woodruff. Head Keeper Frank Crotter, and 2nd Assistant T.J. Sauer. Measures 6 ½” x 8 ½”. Includes date and description on back. Dated December 7, 1933. (VG+). $118.

14265. (photo) Mile Rock Lighthouse, San Francisco, Cal. c.1924. The southern side of the entrance to the Golden Gate is dotted with a family of dangerous wave-swept rocks, the most dangerous to navigation being Mile Rock and Little Mile Rock. The Lighthouse Service tried marking the rocks with a bell buoy but the strong currents would pull the buoy beneath the surface of the water and even set it adrift. Then on February 22, 1901 the City of Rio de Janeiro, inbound in heavy fog, struck Fort Point Ledge and sunk in just eight minutes. Of the 210 people aboard, 128 were lost. The Lighthouse Board concluded that the shipwreck, the worst in San Francisco’s history, might not have occurred if a fog signal could be heard considerably seaward of the ledge. The tragic wreck provided ample motivation to overcome the obstacles inherent in constructing a lighthouse atop Mile Rock, and on June 28, 1902, Congress appropriated $100,000 for the work. Clear close press photo shows great detail of the light structure as visitors look on from the precarious position on the gangplank. Measures 6” x 8 ½”. Dated May 27, 1924. (VG+). $48.

1482. Mosley, Henrietta E. Point Fermin Lighthouse Families 1874-1927. Pacific Heritage Books. 2013. 132p. Soft wraps. This is the first book devoted to the history of Los Angeles’ Point Fermin Lighthouse, a 139- year old structure that still stands today. The relates the story of families living in this big Victorian house with a light tower, 100 feet above the ocean and their interactions with the world around them. Based on correspondence, memoirs, newspaper accounts, census records, station logs, pension files and other archival materials, the author relates how the lives of the members of four lighthouse families were shaped by their surroundings and the historical events of their times. “Meticulously-researched…engaging and informative…sure to become a standard reference for lighthouse scholars and fans alike." Includes rare family and government images. Nicely done. (M). $19.95. (x)

14258. (photo) Point Montara Light Station, California (Tower from Mayo Beach Light, Wellfleet, Mass.) c.1985. Superb close clear original 8” x 10” Coast Guard photo shows great detail of the cast iron light tower and fog signal building, etc. Point Montara Lighthouse was established in February 1875. It originally had a kerosene lantern, but was upgraded in 1912 to a fourth order Fresnel lens. The current tower was first erected in 1881 in Wellfleet, Massachusetts as the Mayo Beach Lighthouse. In 1925, Mayo’s Beach Light was discontinued and the cast iron tower was disassembled and moved to Yerba Buena. It was moved and rebuilt as the Point Montara Light station in 1928, where it stands today. Photo is b/w and includes date and description on back. Clear and close view. Dated February 1985. (VG+). $58.

1523. (document) U.S. Lighthouse Keeper Pay Voucher Form No. 5, Keeper Archibald P. Marble, Humboldt Bay Lighthouse, California c.1870. This is a very scarce original document from the Humboldt Bay Lighthouse. It is a pay voucher for Keeper Archibald P. Marble (Keeper 1869-1874). The Humboldt Bay light was one of the original eight lighthouses to be built on the west coast and was the last to be operational in 1856. It was situated on the low spit of land just north of the harbor entrance. This proved problematic as it was subject to flooding and fog. Earthquakes also caused damage to the tower. The station was abandoned around 1890 and the tower collapsed around 1933. Today all that remains are some bricks and stone steps. This original pay voucher was filled out by Keeper Marble and signed twice in hand by him, receiving the amount of $250 in pay for the three month period ending March 31, 1870. Document measures 6 ½” x 8 ¼” and is overall clean with one original fold. Superb piece of this short lived light station, would make an exceptional addition to any collection or display. (VG+). $114.

1510. (mounted photo) U. S. Life Saving Station, Point Bonita, California  c.1900. Nice clear crisp mounted photo of the modified Port Huron-Type station with octagonal lookout guarding the Golden Gate. Image measures 3 ¾” x 5” on a 5 ½” x 6 ½” mount. Nice clear close view. (VG+). $66.

13178.(snapshot photo) Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, California c.1910. Close clear photo shows great detail of the lovely Victorian light tower and keeper’s dwelling as visitors pose on the gallery. View also includes the cisterns, out buildings and more. In 1873, Point Cabrillo was surveyed as a potential site for a lighthouse and by 1904, the Lighthouse Service recommended that a lighthouse be placed at the point. The lighthouse was constructed by the Lindgren Company beginning in 1908, and began operation in 1909. Its first light keeper was Wilhelm Baumgartner, who was probably the keeper when this photo was snapped. Clear, close, light soiling. (VG-). $44.

6431. Shanks, Ralph and Janetta T. LIGHTHOUSES OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY . 1976. 1ST. 123p. Soft wraps. “...Climb the iron stairways of San Francisco Bay ’s lighthouses to re-light the ancient lamps...on the beach below, the rescue boats are being readied...more watches...more beaches to patrol....” All of this well known author’s original stories are here, along with a rich treasure of countless new adventures. Illustrated with over 65 vintage photographs, the Shanks’ wonderful work chronicles the work of San Francisco Bay ’s Light Keepers as never before. Light stations includes Alcatraz Island, Yerba Buena, Point Bonita, Fort Point, Mile Rocks, Lime Point, Angel Island and Point Blunt, East Brother, Mare Island, Roe Island, Oakland Harbor, Southampton Shoal, Carquinez Strait, and more. Wonderful reading. We have been most fortunate in finding a number of library copies of this rare title and, using some new dust jackets from the original publisher, we have had these re-bound. May be a few taped or soil spots but overall VG. Extremely difficult to find this early West Coast Reference and well worth the price. Some signed by the author. (VG).  $38. Reduced $26. 

13272. Whatley, Merita S. Point Arena Lighthouse. Arcadia. 2013. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. The low rumbles of the fog signal and flashing beam of light from the powerful lens have guided mariners away from the perilous waters surrounding Point Arena Lighthouse since 1870. After the great earthquake in 1906 and the rebuilding of the tower in 1908, Point Arena’s navigational aids continued to warn ships away from the peninsula off Northern California’s Pacific coastline. The original tower was replaced with a concrete cylindrical tower that rises 115 feet from the headland. This became the first lighthouse tower in the United States constructed with materials found to be superior to the stone and masonry lighthouse structures of the past. The new tower, crowned with a nearly 13,000-pound first-order Fresnel lens, sent a beam of light 20 miles out to sea and continued alerting ships of the dangers just offshore. This book tells the story of Point Arena Lighthouse, as well as the people and events that shaped its history, highlighting the heroism and dedication of the lighthouse keepers and their familys who served. This interesting volume draws images from public and private collections, most never before published. Superb photographs of the station, keepers, equipment  and more, well worth it. (M). $21.99. (x)

20301. Wheeler, Wayne [United States Lighthouse Society. CALIFORNIA LIGHTHOUSE LIFE IN THE 1920’S AND 1930’S. 2000. 128p. 200 vintage photographs. Published as part of the Images of America series by Arcadia Publishing. This is a photographic history of the lighthouses of California’s South Coast, San Francisco Bay, and the North Coast, as well as lightships and support facilities. This compact volume features over 200 never before published early photographs dating from the 1929 through 1932, drawn mainly from the collection of former Lighthouse Service employee Irving Conklin. The book depicts lighthouse life in a quieter era – a time when our keepers were thankful to have secure employment and when they kept the lights burning to protect the continual parade of vessels plying the waters along California’s rugged coastline. As you would expect from this well known author and historian, well researched and beautifully arranged, a feast for the eyes. (M) 21.99. 

1165. Castro-Bran, Rose. Lighthouses of the Ventura Coast. Arcadia. 2011. 128p. Soft wraps. 180 vintage photographs. The Ventura County coast has been illuminated for more than a century by three distinctive lighthouses, united in their mission of warning mariners of coastal hazards and guiding ships to safe passage. Port Hueneme's original 1874 Victorian Stick Style lighthouse stood sentry until it was replaced in 1940 by the still-standing art moderne structure, which guards the only deepwater port on the California coast between San Francisco and San Pedro. The Anacapa Island Light, a cylindrical brick structure in the Channel Islands lit in 1932, was the last new lighthouse on the West Coast. Ventura, originally dubbed San Buenaventura by Fr. Junipero Serra in 1782, extends its "good fortune" to the steamers, warships, tankers, and other craft guided to safety by these navigation beacons. The author, a flotilla commander in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and a member of the Coast Guard's Aids to Navigation Team, helps maintain California's lighthouses and has been museum curator of Point Hueneme Lighthouse since 2002. The evocative vintage images showcased here are from her collection, local museums, lighthouse keepers' families, and the Point Hueneme Lighthouse collection. Through these vintage photographs and detailed text, Lighthouses of the Ventura Coast uncovers the history of these structures that kept watch over the coastline. Superb photographs of the stations, keepers, equipment and more, well worth it. (M). $21.99.

12363. (set 2 negatives w/ 2 prints) Old Point Loma Lighthouse, California c.1950’s. Two large clear negatives captures nicely the early brick dwelling and light tower, including a rare interior view looking up the steep wooden stairway to the lantern. Large negatives measure a full 5” x 7” and comes with one b/w print from each. They are unusually clear and close. Would provide a great image. (VG+). Lot 4 pieces. $44.

12115. Semones, JoAnn. Sea of Troubles: The Lost Ships of Point Sur. Glencannon Press. 2012. 229p. Stiff wraps. According to Celtic legend, “Thin Places” are areas where two disparate worlds touch, such as land and sea.  And so it is with the rugged coastline of Big Sur. Twisting and turning along steep, craggy cliffs, high above white-tipped waves, the region’s raw beauty is both spectacular and inspiring. Most breathtaking is a gigantic dome-shaped rock which seemingly sits at the edge of the world.  Known as Point Sur, the lofty monolith is surrounded by massive offshore boulders, dangerous reefs, and swift currents.  Its troubled seas doomed many fine ships to destruction.  Even a lighthouse, thought impossible to build, could not end further tragedy. The many shipwrecks chronicled in these pages illuminate specific moments in time. They allow us to reach into another era, shedding light on who we were and who we have become. Thoroughly illustrated with vintage photographs, this work provides a most interesting account of the many wrecks in the area, survival as well as loss. (M). $27.95. 

6478f. Holland, F. Ross. THE OLD POINT LOMA LIGHTHOUSE. Cabrillo Historical Association. 1978. 52P. Soft wraps. This noted author combines beautiful old photographic views of the Point Loma Light Station with original architectural plans, vintage engravings and paintings, a detailed and informative text and exquisite color photographs to produce a book of unquestionable quality and interest. If we only had a similar publication on every light station ! Clean, tight, nice copy. (VG+).  $12. Reduced $8.

10214. (photo) Lighthouse Keeper, Farallone Island c. 1937. Clear, close 8” x 10” Associated Press photo shows Keeper O.R. Berg discussing something of interest with Chief F.H. Hamilton of the Navy radioman detachment on the island. Great detail including Lighthouse Service hat of the period. April 4, 1937. With credit line or description on back. (VG+) $44. 

10211. (photo) Lighthouse Tender Sequoia bringing supplies to Farallone Island Light Station. c. 1937. Clear, close 8” x 10” Associated Press photo shows a close view of the keepers unloading supplies from the launch as the tender stands by offshore. With credit line or description on back. (VG+) $36. 

BR-108. Shanks, Ralph and Lisa Woo. GUARDIANS OF THE GOLDEN GATE. 1990. 318p. Hardcover. “...Climb the iron stairways of San Francisco Bay ’s lighthouses to light the ancient lamps...on the beach below, the rescue boats are being readied...more watches...more beaches to patrol....” Guardians of the Golden Gate is nearly three times larger than the author’s earlier work ‘Lighthouses of San Francisco Bay. All of the original stories are here, along with a rich treasure of countless new adventures. Illustrated with hundreds of vintage photographs, the Shanks’ wonderful work chronicles the work of San Francisco Bay ’s Life-Savers and Light Keepers as never before. Wonderful reading. (M) $12.95.

6431. Shanks, Ralph and Janetta T. LIGHTHOUSES OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY . 1976. 1ST. 123p. Soft wraps. “...Climb the iron stairways of San Francisco Bay ’s lighthouses to re-light the ancient lamps...on the beach below, the rescue boats are being readied...more watches...more beaches to patrol....” All of this well known author’s original stories are here, along with a rich treasure of countless new adventures. Illustrated with over 65 vintage photographs, the Shanks’ wonderful work chronicles the work of San Francisco Bay ’s Light Keepers as never before. Light stations includes Alcatraz Island, Yerba Buena, Point Bonita, Fort Point, Mile Rocks, Lime Point, Angel Island and Point Blunt, East Brother, Mare Island, Roe Island, Oakland Harbor, Southampton Shoal, Carquinez Strait, and more. Wonderful reading. We have been most fortunate in finding a number of library copies of this rare title and, using some new dust jackets from the original publisher, we have had these re-bound. May be a few taped or soil spots but overall VG. Extremely difficult to find this early West Coast Reference and well worth the price. Some signed by the author. (VG).  $38. Reduced $26. 

7206b. Perry, Frank. THE HISTORY OF PIGEON POINT LIGHTHOUSE. 1986. 87p. Soft wraps. Magnificent Pigeon Point Lighthouse, first lighted in 1872, still shines its flashing signal. This book is the first detailed account of its intriguing past: the tragic shipwrecks of the 1800’s, the legends surrounding its mysterious lens, the first-hand recollections of lighthouse life and much more. (M). $22.

1104. Menz, Katherine. POINT LOMA LIGHTHOUSE: CABRILLO NATIONAL MONUMENT, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – Historic Furnishings Report. National Park Service. Harpers Ferry. December 1978. 243p. Soft wraps. Historic Furnishings Reports provide a valuable foundation for the rehabilitation, restoration, stabilization or reconstruction of the interior furnishings of historic structures. Such a report is particularly important for finding or fabricating significant missing furnishings, tools and other items that would have been found in the structures or used by the inhabitants. This allows one to recapture the appearance of a property at one particular period of its history, removing later additions, or substantially modifying existing historic fabric. In this case, Point Loma Light Station was studied using evidence present at the site, historical documents found at the National Archives, Light House Establishment records, logs, reports, letters from the keepers and more. Using these and other sources, the author is able to provide a detailed assessment of how the interiors would have looked during the period of interest, what furnishings and amenities would have been present, keeper’s tools and equipment, clocks and more. The report includes a number of period photos and diagrams, and excerpts from Light House Establishment books and documents for guidance. A most important reference for anyone interested in what the inside of light station buildings would have contained and looked like. (M). $48.

10232. (mounted photo) New Light House, Point Loma, California c.1900. Beginning on November 15, 1855, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse stood watch over the entrance to San Diego Bay for 36 years. What seemed to be a good location 422 feet above sea level, however, had a serious flaw. Fog and low clouds often obscured the light. So a new light station was needed. By the spring of 1890, two Victorian cottages, each flanked by its own cistern and privy, along with a concrete foundation for the lighthouse were completed. The 70 foot tubular lighthouse tower, manufactured by Phoenix Iron Company of Trenton, New Jersey, rolled into San Diego aboard two flatcars of the Southern California Railroad on July 5, 1890. The tower was off-loaded and strong wagons were employed to transport it to the point. During the month of August, the spiral staircase, central tube, and supporting framework were assembled to support the two-story lantern room. the lens was illuminated for the first time on March 23, 1891. Rare early view is unusually close and provides an unprecedented view of the light tower as an 45-star (1896-1907) American flag flies from a tall staff on the gallery. Image measures 3 ¾” x 8” on 5 ¾” x 10 ¾” mount. Clear, bright, a few marks and spots of foxing, edgewear to mount. (G+). $86.

28211. Fahlen, Kim and Karen Scanlon. Lighthouses of San Diego. Arcadia Publishing. 2008. 128 p. Soft wraps. 200 vintage photographs. As his ship rounded the high point off Point Loma, San Diego , in 1859, Richard Henry Dana wrote, “We were greeted by the cheering presence of a light-house.” In reality, beams from San Diego ’s first lighthouse were repeatedly lost in cloud and fog, and all too soon came agitation for a more effective light at a lower elevation. By 1891, two new lighthouses were constructed to achieve what one could not—a major light on the low tip of Point Loma and a secondary light at Ballast Point. Although abandonment of the first lighthouse structure was nearly catastrophic, it still survives today to charm millions of visitors. Now, and long overdue, are new glimpses of the famous and lesser-known lighthouses of San Diego thanks to the memories and photographs belonging to families of the men who kept the lights burning. Another in the series from Arcadia , this volume draws from public and private collections, most never before published. Superb photographs, well worth it. (M). $19.99.

28212. Fahlen, Kim and Karen Scanlon. Lighthouses of San Diego. Arcadia Publishing. 2008. 15 p. Soft wraps. San Diego ’s first lighthouse on top of Point Loma was replaced by 1891 with two others, at the base of the cliff and on Ballast Point, where their beams were less affected by fog and low clouds. In this collection of vintage-photograph postcards, the authors explore these historic beacons’ pasts. Another in the series from Arcadia , this volume draws from public and private collections, most never before published. Superb views, well worth it. (M). $7.99.

10488. Marc, Jacques F. Pacific Coast Steamship China. UBC Press. 2009. 182p. Hardcover.  300+ color and 80 b/w photographs. At the height of Pacific-coast steamship travel in the late 1800s and early 1900s, passengers enjoyed a sit-down dinner served on china with silver flatware. Today, the only places you can still find this china is at flea markets and antique shops or by diving at old dock sites and on shipwrecks. Pacific Coast Ship China identifies and dates shipping china used along the Pacific coast of North America. It identifies more than 280 china patterns used on vessels and in-shore establishments of shipping organizations registered in Alaska, Yukon Territory, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Hawaii; it describes patterns used in coastal, intercoastal and transpacific services. In addition to passenger vessels, it documents the china used by freighter operations, oil companies, government services and yacht clubs. This easy-to-use guide identifies almost 300 china patterns. It provides collectors, museum technicians, divers, history buffs and anyone else interested in identifying and dating Pacific-coast ship china with all the information they need. It also includes brief descriptions of 73 Pacific-coast shipping companies and government services including Lighthouse Service and Coast Guard. (M). $79.95.

The 3 volumes of Lightships of the United States of America consist of a comprehensive listing of all the lightships that served under the lighthouse service and the Coast Guard. Each ship is outlined with the technical specifications of service, officers, and crews of each ship. The data and information includes all of the research done by noted lightship historian Willard Flint, as well as from other sources across the country, organizations and historical archives, providing a comprehensive view of the history of each ship. These volumes provide the reader with a complete historical reference of the lightship service in this country. Also included are hundreds of photographs of the lightships including on-station photographs, mechanical drawings, officers, crews and more.

10453a. Schoenewolff, Thomas. Lightships of the United States of America, Volume I – Northeast. RoseDog Books. 2010. Soft wraps. 368p. $61.

10453b. Schoenewolff, Thomas. Lightships of the United States of America, Volume II – Southeast. RoseDog Books. 2010. Soft wraps. 146p.  $28.

10453c. Schoenewolff, Thomas. Lightships of the United States of America, Volume III – Gulf, Western, Great Lakes. RoseDog Books. 2010. Soft wraps. 188p.  $38.

28299. (large mounted photo) Point Loma Light Station c.1915. Large 12 ½” x 16 ½” on 16” x 20” mount provides unusually close, clear view of the early 1854 light structure. In 1851, a year after California entered the Union, and the U.S. Coastal Survey selected the heights of Point Loma, 422 feet above sea level, for the location of a navigational aid. Construction began three years later. Workers carved sandstone from the hillside for walls and salvaged floor tiles from the ruins of an old Spanish fort. A rolled tin roof, a brick tower, and an iron and brass housing for the light topped the squat, thick-walled building. By late summer 1854, this work was done. More than a year passed before the lighting apparatus -- a 5 foot, 3rd order Fresnel lens, the best available technology -- arrived from France and was installed. At dusk on November 15, 1855, the keeper climbed the winding stairs and lit the oil lamp for the first time. In clear weather its light was visible at sea for 25 miles. For the next 36 years, it welcomed sailors to San Diego harbor. The light had only a short life because the seemingly good location concealed a serious flaw: fog and low clouds often obscured the beam. On March 23, 1891, the keeper extinguished the lamp for the last time. Boarding up the lighthouse, he moved his family and belongings into a new light station at the bottom of the hill. Superb large b/w photographic view, clear and clean, on original aging mount was put together by the Union Title Insurance Company. Would look striking framed. (VG). $134.

24124. (photograph) Pigeon Point Lighthouse, California. c.1870. Perched on a cliff on the central California coast, the 115-foot Pigeon Point Lighthouse, one of the tallest lighthouses in America, has been guiding mariners since 1872. Its five-wick lard oil lamp, and first-order Fresnel lens, was first lit at sunset, November 15, 1872. The lens stands 16 feet tall, 6 feet in diameter, and weighs 8,000 pounds. It sits in a lantern room that had been constructed at the Lighthouse Service's general depot in New York before being shipped around the Horn. Although the original Fresnel lens is no longer in use, the lighthouse is still an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation using a 24 inch Aero Beacon. This early c.1870’s image was intended for a stereoview and is cut with rounded upper corners. It shows good detail – a nice clear image. 3” x 3” Light foxing. (VG-). $88 net.  

23566. (set 2 photos) Point Loma Light Station,  California . c.1906. Set of two Victorian era b/w snapshots taken at the Point Loma Light Station,  California . Crisp and clear, one view is taken from atop the light tower looking down at the “lighthouse tender’s” [keeper’s]  house and includes the dwelling, cisterns, out buildings and more. Second photo shows a finely dressed Victorian woman as she opens the station’s gate. Clean,. Crisp, 3 ¼” x 5 ½”. (VG+). $64.

6560. Point Loma Light-House. 3½" x 5½". Nice close, clear dual image photo shows the light tower with fog signal and boiler-house behind. Inset shows closeup of the aero beacon within the lantern. Extensive hand written notes on obverse detail the equipment and specifications of the light and fog signals. On post card paper. (c. 1920). (VG). $16.

20131. [stereoview] Lighthouse at Point Reyes, California. (c.1870). Rare, close view by Edward J. Muybridge of San Francisco shows the squat iron tower and first order lens and lantern in great detail. The image is clear and close, showing in some detail the parapet, lens and lantern perched on the cliff edge. View is quite clear, with only a bit of light foxing, on yellow mount. Some hand written notes on mount. Quite scarce California view. (VG). $240 net.

29324. Weymouth, Kent. Lighthouses of the Golden State – California’s Shining Beacons. Sacramento. 2008. 200p. Soft wraps. With a population of about 200 people Yerba Buena was a sleepy little town in 1846. The following year, Yerba Buena would become San Francisco. With the discovery of gold at Sutter's mill by James Marshall in 1848, a rush to California began that would swell the population of San Francisco to more than 36 thousand by 1850. Risking their lives for the promise of fortune, men traveled from all over the world to this new prosperous land, at a time when the coast of California and the waters surrounding it were unexplored, dangerous and unprotected. Magnificent structures would rise in the decades to follow, built by brave and adventurous souls. At these isolated outposts, hearty individuals were stationed as light-keepers to protect the ships bringing commerce, supplies and the peoples that would build the west. Step back in time to an era of adventure, hardship, loneliness and isolation, when lighthouses rose on the shores of the Golden State. Exhaustively researched and thus thoroughly informative, Lighthouses of the Golden State offers up a truly complete and detailed history of the construction, purpose, and current condition of the towering structures. Weymouth covers the individual history of dozens of lighthouses, and extensively specifies the reason that each particular lighthouse was built, what the operating procedures for each were, and general points of information and interest about them. Well illustrated. (M). $19.95. 

28359. Rogerson, Bruce et al. Point Cabrillo Light Station. Arcadia Publishing. 2008. 128 p. Soft wraps. 200 vintage photographs. Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, on the rugged coast of Mendocino County in Northern California, was first lit as an aid to navigation on June 10, 1909. The light station continues to serve mariners and is regarded as one of the crown jewels of lighthouses on the West Coast. In July 1850, just north of the future site of the lighthouse, the clipper brig Frolic wrecked in its journey from China to Gold Rush–era San Francisco. European settlers in search of salvage from the cargo found instead Mendocino’s vast strands of virgin redwood timber stretching inland from the coast. Getting this valuable lumber to market in the mid-19th century required ships, and ships needed lighthouses to guide them. In 1909, the light known today as Point Cabrillo was built on a windswept promontory two miles north of the village of Mendocino. Another in the series from Arcadia , this volume draws from public and private collections, most never before published. Superb photographs of the station, keepers, equipment  and more, well worth it. (M). $19.99.

28367. Semones, JoAnn. Shipwrecks, Scalawags, And Scavengers -  The Storied Waters Of Pigeon Point. Glencannon Press. 2007. 160p. DJ. Over 70 photos and illustrations. Pigeon Point - Those lucky enough to survive the bloodiest of shipwrecks at Pigeon Point say the San Juan, an old steamer, was doomed from the moment it collided with an oil tanker just before midnight on Aug. 29, 1929. "We heard the crash and the lights went out," said the San Juan's second officer. "Then, in a second, I got covered with water and the vessel sank from under me." Fifty-five passengers and 20 crewmen perished in the fog as the waves overtook the splintered steamer. Just one child survived the wreck as his mother threw him onto the deck of the oil tanker, itself damaged from the collision. Such tales haunt the pages of "Shipwrecks, Scalawags, and Scavengers: The Storied Waters of Pigeon Point." Between 1853 and 1953, ships of all types – clipper ships, barks, schooners, steamers — sailing the central California Coast fell victim to Pigeon Point’s unpredictable weather and rocky shoreline. Author and historian JoAnn Semones offers the first- ever history of shipwrecks at San Mateo County's notoriously treacherous Pigeon Point, using rare photographs and historic accounts from the people whose lives were altered by their experiences there. (M). $24.95. 

28213. Veronico, Betty S. Lighthouses of the Bay Area. Arcadia Publishing. 2008. 128 p. Soft wraps. 200 vintage photographs. The 1848 discovery of gold in the hills of California brought prospectors and adventurers west; many came across the country on the treacherous western trails, while others came by sea. The rugged coast of California and the dangers of the San Francisco Bay waters claimed many ships and their passengers. The loss of these ships and the ever-increasing number of vessels converging in the San Francisco Bay made it evident that navigational aids were desperately needed. To enhance maritime safety in the region, the San Francisco Bay ’s first light, located on Alcatraz Island , began construction in 1852. Light stations soon followed at Fort Point, Point Bonita, and the Farallon Islands . An additional 15 lights later served the bay, and two lightships were stationed outside the Golden Gate . Another in the series from Arcadia , this volume draws from public and private collections, most never before published. Superb photographs, well worth it. (M). $21.99. 

27302. Powers, Dennis M. SENTINEL OF THE SEAS – Life and Death at the Most Dangerous Lighthouse Ever Built. Citadel Press. 2007. 380p. DJ. Miles off the coast of northern California lies a mariner’s nightmare. Concealed by roiling sea and thick fog, the jagged edges of a submerged volcanic mountain chain await approaching vessels like predators in the mist. This is one of the most hazardous reefs off the West Coast. And for over a century, it has been home to the most remote, most expensive, and most dangerous lighthouse ever built in America. In Sentinel of the Seas, Dennis M. Powers chronicles the heroic stories of men and women who have gone where land and sea collide. To build the St. George Reef Lighthouse, Alexander Ballantyne—probably the only man alive who was qualified and brave enough to supervise such a project—faced incredible hurdles, including the haul of six-ton granite blocks onto a spit of washed-over land from a quarry seventy-five miles away. In 1937 George Roux, the tough, longtime head lighthouse keeper, was trapped for two months by howling winds and stories-high waves with his crew on the verge of mutiny. In 1951 a rogue wave capsized a Coast Guard launch being lowered from the lighthouse, challenging keeper Fred Permenter to attempt a nearly impossible rescue that would win him a place in Coast Guard history. Based on five years of research drawing on the National Archives, original journals, and personal interviews, Sentinel of the Seas is the first book to capture the tumultuous history of this astounding engineering feat and the lives that have been influenced by it. (M). $21.95.

2679. Shanks, Ralph and Lisa Woo Shanks, Editor. INDIAN BASKETS OF CENTRAL CALIFORNIA - ART, CULTURE, AND HISTORY. Native American Basketry From San Francisco Bay And Monterey Bay North To Mendocino And East To The Sierras. Novato. 2006. 176 p. 200 photographs. DJ. This unique book provides a complete study of the exquisite Native American basketry from the San Francisco Bay Area and the Monterey Bay region north to Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino and eastward across the Sacramento Valley to the crest of the Sierras. Baskets of the Pomo, Ohlone (Costanoan), Coast Miwok, Esselen, Huchnom, Lake Miwok, Maidu, Wappo, and Yuki people are lavishly illustrated and knowledgably and sensitively described. Color photographs and drawings illustrate the rare, fine California Indian baskets from museum and private collections in the United States and Europe. The vast majority of these baskets are illustrated for the first time. Ralph Shanks is vice president of the Miwok Archaeological Preserve of Marin. Lisa Woo Shanks is editor of the Basketry of California and Oregon Series. They are the authors of The North American Indian Travel Guide, The U.S. Life Saving Service, Lighthouses of San Francisco Bay, and more, with other works on the horizon. (M). $44.95.

2644. Belyk, Robert C. GREAT SHIPWRECKS OF THE PACIFIC COAST. New York. 2001. 276 p. DJ. Fascinating, never-before-documented stories of the worst shipwrecks on the Pacific Coast during the golden age of coastal transportation, 1854 to 1929. The eighty years spanning the California gold rush to the start of the Great Depression saw thousands of passengers and crews perish in Pacific steamship wrecks. In Great Shipwrecks of the Pacific Coast, author Robert Belyk looks beyond commonly provided-and frequently superficial-public explanations of weather conditions or human error, and closely examines ten significant maritime disasters that occurred along the Pacific coastline from California to Alaska. Filled with the drama of life and death aboard doomed ships, Belyk brings to life the struggles of real people caught in desperate situations when disaster strikes at sea. Illustrated with rare photographs and drawings. The shipwrecks accounted for here include: Yankee Blade: Wreck of a Gold Ship, Brother Jonathan: In the Teeth of the Dragon, Pacific: The Final Whistle, Rio de Janeiro: Death of a City, Clallam: The "Hoodoo" Ship, Valencia: Appointment with Death, Columbia: Disaster off Shelter Cove, Francis H. Leggett: Battle Lost, Princess Sophia: A Grave Error, San Juan: End of an Era. (F). $19.95.

2338b. Grant, John. STAYING AT A LIGHTHOUSE - America's Most Romantic Lighthouse Inns. Guilford. 2005. 104 p. Soft wraps. New Updated edition. Whether they were abandoned long ago or still stand as beacons in the fog, hundreds of lighthouses decorate the beautiful shores of North America. But only a few invite people to stay the night. Staying at a Lighthouse visits these unique overnight havens, offering a personal tour of the most sought-after landmarks in the country. A few of them operate as grand bed-and-breakfast inns. Others provide a more rustic experience, offering guests a retreat from the hustle and bustle of their daily lives. Still others allow visitors to assume the role of lighthouse keeper for a short time. But they all provide an experience that is romantic, renewing, and above all, memorable. Readers can step back in time at these and many other coastal towers: • Heceta Head Lighthouse, Oregon • East Brother Light Station, California • Sand Hills Lighthouse Inn, Michigan • Rose Island Lighthouse, Rhode Island • Saugerties Lighthouse, New York • Race Point Lighthouse, Massachusetts • Monomoy Point Lighthouse, Massachusetts • The Keeper's House Inn, Maine Information provided in each profile includes history of the lighthouse and the area, background of the present-day keepers, and a description of the accommodations and the guest experience, plus all pertinent practical contact details. (M). $11.95.  

29115. (document) Letter of Introduction for Charles F. Allen c.1888. One page letter on stationery of the Fresno Canal and Irrigation Company, recommending Mr. Allen for a position either on the road or in the shops, noting that Mr. Allen was a thorough and competent machinist. Some years later Mr. Allen would perfect and receive patents for a number of inventions, and later would become a lighthouse keeper on the West Coast at stations including Humboldt Bay and Point Hueneme, California, serving the Lighthouse Service for thirty-eight years. For 15 years he was keeper at the big government station at Point Conception. Document is overall clean with some wear and original folds. (VG-). $28.

Lot of original U.S. Lighthouse Service, Letters of Appointment as Keeper, Humboldt Light Station, Point Hueneme Light Station, Point Conception Light Station, California, to Charles F. Allen c.1890’s. 

2992b. (document) Original official Treasury Department document promoting and appointing Mr. Charles F. Allen as keeper of the light station at Point Hueneme, California. The document is dated April 6, 1894, and features his new rate of pay and the acting secretary's (Curtis) signature.  It is stamped as received by the Light House Board, April 7, 1894. Charles F. Allen was a lighthouse keeper on the West Coast at stations including Humboldt Bay and Point Hueneme, California for thirty-eight years. For 15 years he was keeper at the big government station at Point Conception. Size: 8” x 10 ½” on official letterhead Form No. 13. Light expected wear, some wear at folds, misc. occasional light foxing. (VG-). $148.

2992c. (document) Original official Treasury Department document transferring, promoting and appointing Mr. Charles F. Allen as keeper of the light station at Point Hueneme, California. The document is dated January 23, 1894, and features his new rate of pay and the acting secretary's (Curtis) signature.  It is stamped as received by the Light House Board, January 24, 1894. Charles F. Allen was a lighthouse keeper on the West Coast at stations including Humboldt Bay and Point Hueneme, California for thirty-eight years. For 15 years he was keeper at the big government station at Point Conception. Size: 8” x 10 ½” on official letterhead Form No. 82. Light expected wear, some wear at folds, misc. occasional light foxing. (VG-). $148.

2992d. (document) Original official Treasury Department document promoting and appointing Mr. Charles F. Allen as acting first assistant keeper of the light station at Humboldt, California. The document is dated October 8, 1892, and features his new rate of pay and the acting secretary's (Spaulding) signature.  It is stamped as received by the Light House Board, October 10, 1892. Charles F. Allen was a lighthouse keeper on the West Coast at stations including Humboldt Bay and Point Hueneme, California for thirty-eight years. For 15 years he was keeper at the big government station at Point Conception. Size: 8” x 10 ½” on official letterhead Form No. 82. Light expected wear, some wear at folds, misc. occasional light foxing. (VG-). $148.

2992f. (document) Original official Treasury Department document absolutely appointing Mr. Charles F. Allen as first assistant keeper of the light station at Humboldt, California. The document is dated November 10, 1892, and features his new rate of pay and the acting secretary's signature.  It is stamped as received by the Light House Board, November 11, 1892. Charles F. Allen was a lighthouse keeper on the West Coast at stations including Humboldt Bay and Point Hueneme, California for thirty-eight years. For 15 years he was keeper at the big government station at Point Conception. Size: 8” x 10 ½” on official letterhead. Light expected wear, some wear at folds, misc. occasional light foxing. (VG-). $148.

2992g. (document) Original official Lighthouse Service  document reinstating Mr. Charles F. Allen as keeper at the light station at Point Conception, California. The document is dated June 11, 1915  and notes that he is to report by June 30th to accept the transfer of the station from Keeper Hussey. Letter is signed in hand by Superintendent A. C. Anderson, San Francisco. Charles F. Allen was a lighthouse keeper on the West Coast at stations including Humboldt Bay and Point Hueneme, California for thirty-eight years. For 15 years he was keeper at the big government station at Point Conception. Size: 8” x 10 ½” on official Lighthouse Service letterhead. Light expected wear, some wear at folds, misc. occasional light foxing. (VG-). $138.

2992e. (document) Original official Treasury Department, Office of the Light-House Board document advising Keeper Charles F. Allen at Point Hueneme Light Station that on the last inspection his station was “found to be in excellent condition”, and commending him for his faithful and interested service. Letter is signed in hand by W. Maynard, Naval Secretary. Charles F. Allen was a lighthouse keeper on the West Coast at stations including Humboldt Bay and Point Hueneme, California for thirty-eight years. For 15 years he was keeper at the big government station at Point Conception. Size: 8” x 10 ½” on official Treasury Department, Office of the Light-House Board letterhead. Light expected wear, some wear at folds, misc. occasional light foxing. (VG-). $225.

2632. (commemorative spoon) c.1900. Large commemorative spoon bears a detailed molded image of the Los Angeles Harbor Lighthouse and Breakwater, California. The spoon is decorated and  features a highly-detailed engraved image of the harbor, ships, breakwater with the lighthouse on the end. The spoon measures 5 ½” long and is in marvelous overall condition for its age, with surprisingly little surface wear from decades of polishing. Nicely detailed commemorative piece and an extremely rare and desirable location, commemorating this interesting early California lighthouse piece. Marked “Sterling. E. C. Fleming LA”. (VG+). $72 net.

PC-165. Von Physter, George. PAINTINGS AND LORE OF CALIFORNIA LIGHTHOUSES. San Diego . 1963. 1st. 40p. Soft wraps. Interesting booklet features 14 b/w reproductions of California lighthouse paintings, along with a description of the station and a bit of history as well. Light stations include Point Loma, Ballast Point, Los Angeles Hatbor Light, Anacapa, Point Conception, Point Sur, Pigeon Point, Mile Rocks Light, Point Reyes , Todos Santos Island Light, South Coronado Island Light, San Felipe Light, and more. A scarce booklet. Clean, crisp. (F-).  $32.

21200b. Von Physter, George. PAINTINGS AND LORE OF CALIFORNIA LIGHTHOUSES. San Diego. 1963. 1st. 40p. Soft wraps. Interesting booklet features 14 b/w reproductions of California lighthouse paintings, along with a description of the station and a bit of history as well. Light stations include Point Loma, Ballast Point, Los Angeles Hatbor Light, Anacapa, Point Conception, Point Sur, Pigeon Point, Mile Rocks Light, Point Reyes, Todos Santos Island Light, South Coronado Island Light, San Felipe Light, and more. A scarce booklet. Clean, crisp. (F). $28.

 CLEARANCE PRICED at Only $7.95 each:

Roberts, Bruce and Ray Jones. Over 80 color and b/w photographs. Soft wraps. Scarce early editions of this author’s earlier works covers the lighthouses along the coasts of the United States . The superb narrative and exquisite photography have made this lighthouse series repeated best sellers. Many signed by the author. (M).  

8268. CALIFORNIA LIGHTHOUSES – Point St. George to the Gulf of Santa Catalina . 1997. 86 p. (2)

7209. Shelton-Roberts, Cheryl, LIGHTHOUSE FAMILIES. 1997. 196p. Hard cover. Living in a lighthouse was a way of life for the families of more than 5000 keepers and employees of the United States Lighthouse Service. These quiet people faithfully manned their remote outposts and withstood enemy attacks, hurricanes, and dishonest bureaucrats while saving countless thousands of lives. These men, women and children daily experienced physical hardship, round-the-clock work, isolation, and danger - and the strong bond of family. Though the Lighthouse Service no longer exists, many of the children who grew up at these stations do and their stories are preserved for the first time in this remarkable book. Family tales from Pigeon Point California, St. Augustine Florida, Saddleback Ledge Maine, Old Mackinac Point Michigan, Morris Island South Carolina and many more. Illustrated with over 100 family vintage photographs and a beautiful full color photo of the light as it appears today. This is a book that you won’t want to put down. (M). Reduced! $22.46.

21468. Twohy, John and George Mattson. CALIFORNIA’S LIGHT STATIONS AND OTHER AIDS TO NAVIGATION c.1950. Jenner. 2001. 96p. Soft wraps 8 ½" x 11". In the late 1940’s the authors, both talented painters and professional photographers, began photographing the keepers tending their apparatus at nearby light stations and soon had compiled a photographic history of the life at stations up and down the coast of California from San Diego to Cape Mendocino. The authors included too the lightships, tenders as well as the keepers and their families. These wonderful black and white images present a rare view into the light keeper’s life when their work was still a necessity. No matter what part of the country you are from, these views of the men and women tending their equipment will surely be of interest. (M). $24.50.

23276. Nelson, Sharlene P. & Ted W., UMBRELLA GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA LIGHTHOUSES. Kenmore. 1999. 180p. Soft wraps. A guide and history of the forty lighthouses, lightships and tenders that once guarded the 1,200 miles of coastline from San Diego to the Redwood Coast. In addition to official records, family records, newspaper accounts and engineering, this detailed guide provides information on visiting the lights with photos, maps and details of availability. A nicely done lighthouse guide for the area. (M). $12.95.

22513. Leffingwell, Randy and Pamela Welty. LIGHTHOUSES OF THE PACIFIC COAST – Your Guide to Lighthouses of California, Oregon and Washington. Stillwater. 2002. 176 p. A Pictorial Discovery Guide. DJ. A fresh look at the history and technological evolution of lighthouses in the area, the development of apparatus, architecture, construction and maintenance on their remote sites, the daily life of the keepers and much more. The author presents an exciting history illustrated with stunning photographs, historical anecdotes, architectural details and local legends. Lavishly illustrated, an excellent text on the subject and guide for the area. (M). Hard Cover $29.95.

Light-House Service District Maps

10345. [Light-House Service District Maps]. U. S. Light-House Service. c. June 30, 1891. A rare opportunity to obtain an official U. S. Light-House Service District charts of all district aids to navigation as bound in their Annual Reports. Normally these charts are included within the Annual Reports and we are unable to offer them separately but we have found a lot of disbound charts in good condition. These are fine for matting and framing for your wall. Charts detail the entire Light-House District in three colors, and show all lighthouses, beacons, light vessels, fog signals, lighted buoys, Light-House Depots, and more. Charts average 8 ½” x 10” in size and are overall clean, may have very light stain,  with only one light original fold, light age toning. A rare chance to obtain the chart of your District for framing. (VG).

FIRST LIGHT-HOUSE DISTRICT. From the head of navigation on the St. Croix River , Maine to Hampton Harbor , New Hampshire . Includes all of Maine and New Hampshire .  $44.

SECOND LIGHT-HOUSE DISTRICT. From Hampton Harbor , New Hampshire to Elisha Ledge off Warren , Rhode Island . Includes all of Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard . $44.

THIRD LIGHT-HOUSE DISTRICT. From Elisha Ledge off Warren , Rhode Island to and including a point on the coast of New Jersey opposite Shrewsbury Rocks.  $44.

PART OF THE THIRD LIGHT-HOUSE DISTRICT. Includes all of Lake Champlain . $18.

FOURTH LIGHT-HOUSE DISTRICT. From a point on the coast of New Jersey opposite Shrewsbury Rocks to and including Metomkin Inlet, Virginia. Includes New Jersey , Delaware , Maryland and Virginia .  $44.

FIFTH LIGHT-HOUSE DISTRICT. From Metomkin Inlet , Virginia to and including New River Inlet , North Carolina .  $44.

SIXTH LIGHT-HOUSE DISTRICT. From New River Inlet , North Carolina to and including Jupiter Inlet Light-Station, Florida . Includes part of North Carolina , all of South Carolina , Georgia , and Florida between the limits named. $44.

SEVENTH LIGHT-HOUSE DISTRICT. From a point south of Jupiter Inlet Light-Station to Perdido Entrance , Florida . Includes all of the sea and Gulf Coasts of Florida .  $44.

EIGHTH LIGHT-HOUSE DISTRICT. From Perdido Entrance , Florida to the Rio Grande, the southern boundary of Texas . Includes all of the Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi River .  $44.

NINTH LIGHT-HOUSE DISTRICT. Includes all of Lake Michigan, Green Bay and tributary waters.   $44.

TENTH LIGHT-HOUSE DISTRICT. Extends from the mouth of the St. Regis River , St. Lawrence River , New York to and including Grassy Island, Detroit River, Michigan. Includes the waters of Lakes Erie and Ontario , and the upper part of the St. Lawrence, the Niagara, and the lower part of the Detroit rivers.  $44.

ELEVENTH LIGHT-HOUSE DISTRICT. Extends from the Grassy Island Light Station, Detroit River , Michigan to the head of Lake Superior including the waters of Lakes St. Clair, Huron, and Superior and the upper part of the Detroit River , the St. Clair and St. Mary’s Rivers, and part of the Straits of Mackinac.   $44.

TWELFTH LIGHT-HOUSE DISTRICT. From the boundary between California and Mexico to the boundary between California and Oregon .   $44.

THIRTEENTH LIGHT-HOUSE DISTRICT. From the boundary between California and Oregon to the northern boundary of the United States and includes Alaska . Includes all of Oregon and Washington , and Alaskan waters.   $44.

U. S. Light-House Service District Charts - Large Size

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