Light Up Your Home With Lighthouse Decor

June 4, 2010 | Posted by admin

It is thought that the ancient Egyptians were the first people to use light to guide ships. They built fires on hill tops at night and in later years built lighthouses that used fire as the source of light. During Ptolemy II’s reign, they completed the tallest lighthouse ever constructed. It was called Phares of Alexandrea and stood over 400 feet tall. It guided ships around 1500 years.

Romans built lighthouses in ports. Their light source was thought to be a system of flames and mirrors.

EddyStone Rock Lighthouse, in England, was the first lighthouse built on a wave-swept rock. It’s base was made of huge stone blocks. Finished in 1698, a storm destoyed it in 1703. Three other lighthouses have been built on that same spot since then.

The first American lighthouse was built in Boston Harbor in 1716. It was destroyed during the Revolutionary War by the British, in 1776. Another lighthouse was built on that site in 1783 and still stands. Early Americans used kerosene, lard oil, and sperm-whale oil to fuel their lighthouses.

Each lighthouse built has its own distinctive pattern of lights known as it’s characteristic. There are five types of signals. One-FIXED, a steady beam. Two-FLASHING, has periods of
darkness longer than periods of light. Three-OCCULTING, periods of light longer than periods of darness. Four-GrOUP FLASHING, gives off two or more flashs at regular intervals. Five- GROUP OCCULTING, a fixed light with two or more periods of darkness at regular intervals.

Lighthouses are identified by their structure. Lighthouses are distiguished by their day marker pattern-design of checks and stripes that are painted on their walls with vivid colors.

There is a publication called Light Lists that describe the characterists and locations of lighthouses. Mariners consult the light list to determine which lighthouse they are seeing,
therefore they know where they are.

Throughout centuries, lighthouses have guided sailors home. Sailors came to symbolize lighthouses with Hope, Love, Peace and Guidance. Lighthouse decor has become very
collectible. Collectors love to add those same symbols in their own home and garden,
whether they live close to the sea or not.Light House n Gifts.

Categories: Business | Tags: | No Comments »