John R. Wigham

In the last issue of The Keeper's Log [Volume XXIII, No 2] you read about the brilliant and innovative designs of John Wigham, and yet why is it that you probably have never heard of him before? Have you known of gas being used to illuminate lighthouses? Perhaps you didn't know gas was ever used in any significant way. Have you heard of the Wigham group-flashing lamp? Why did John Hopkinson get all the credit for its equivalent, the group-flashing lens? Have you heard of Wigham's bi-form, tri-form and quadri-form lenses?

This is the story of a brilliant engineer who created some of the most interesting lighthouse equipment ever developed. His designs would be both praised and maligned and would lead to jealousy, conflict, prejudice, plagiarism, and the ultimate resignation of one of the leading scientists of the day. Part Two will appear in the next issue of The Keeper's Log.