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, Winslow Lewis 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. He worked with Al Gademsky to refine the current listing and to add additional lenses to the list. 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. The listing is continuously added to and refined as new lenses are located or old lenses are moved to new locations and is officially released once each year. The listing is now in its 13th release and the maintenance of the listing is now under the control of Fresnel Lens expert Chad Kaiser of the New Dungeness Lighthouse in Washington State.

CLICK HERE for the most recent listing of all Classical Fresnel Lenses within the United States

CLICK HERE for the most recent listing of all Operational Classical Fresnel Lenses within the United States


Lens data collection form

This form was developed to collect and store data of optics in a uniform format. The form was designed as a Word document and can easily be downloaded to your computer and then copied or printed as much as needed.

Click here for the lens data form

Click here for a sample of a completed form

Click here to see definitions for the fields on the form