Gay Head Lighthouse’s original first order Fresnel lens, on display at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, 2/17/2024. (See my previous post for photos of the lighthouse itself.)

Photo 1: The lens — beautifully displayed.
Photo 2: The lens from the lower floor, with the clockwork mechanism visible.
Photo 3: The much smaller electric light that replaced the original Fresnel lens, and remained in use until 1989, when it was replaced by the current optic.

The museum includes an exhibit about the 2015 project that moved the Gay Head Light away from the eroding clay cliffs, as well as lots of other Vineyard-related exhibits. Neat museum, beautiful building and grounds.

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Gay Head Lighthouse, 2/17/2024. This was our fourth and final lighthouse on our Martha’s Vineyard trip last year. She’s not that tall, but she sits high atop a bluff above the water, and the view is absolutely stunning. The original optic was a first order Fresnel lens, but it now has a rotating DCB-224 that alternates white and red every 15 seconds.
#gayheadlighthouse #winter #lighthouse #phare #faro #leuchtturm #灯台 #todai #newengland #massachusetts #capecod #marthasvineyard #aquinnah