Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that was founded in 1996 to provide millions of free books, movies, music and more. Its purposes include offering permanent access to digitally formatted historical collections for use by researchers, historians, scholars, people with disabilities and the general public. Utilize the search engine to locate any topic you are researching.
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps, and manuscripts in its collections.
The library maintains digital collections that can be accessed online. Here you can view, and in most cases download, photographs, drawings, and documents about lighthouses.
National Archives
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the nation's record keeper. Of all documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States Federal government, only 1%-3% are so important for legal or historical reasons that they are kept forever.
Nautical Research Centre Library
Maintained and operated by Colin MacKenzie and his family, the Nautical Research Centre Library opened to the public in 1983. Mr. MacKenzie began collecting materials during a merchant sailing career of over nine years on the Great Lakes, in the Atlantic, and in the Caribbean. Colin's interest in the age of sail continued during his tenure as a demolition/deconstruction technician for the British military. His commission ended in the 1960's, and he continues to pursue his interests in maritime history via the Library.
U.S. Lighthouse Society Archives
The Society maintains one of the largest historical lighthouse archives in the world.
USCG Historian's Office
The website of the U. S. Coast Guard Historian's Office is a gateway to the study of the Lighthouse Service. The Historian’s Office preserves, promotes, and commemorates the Coast Guard's history and heritage in all forms, including official documents, publications and manuals, photographs, oral histories, memoirs, and artifacts, among others.