American lighthouses are cherished by countless individuals who treasure our nation's history and look to lighthouses as tributes to the indomitable human spirit. This unique pictorial chronicle brings to life nearly a century of American lighthouse history with hundreds of archival photographs, many of them never before published. The Golden Age of American Lighthouses tells the often dramatic story of U.S. lighthouses from approximately the middle of the nineteenth century until shortly. Before World War II, an era that many consider the golden age of American lighthouses. Giant brick towers, sturdy cast-iron cylinders, and open-water "spark-plug" towers that most people associate with lighthouses began to be built during this period. The majority of America's most beautiful and beloved lighthouses date from this time. This book is filled with vintage black-and-white views of classic towers such as those at Boston Harbor, Cape Hatteras, and Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. It also focuses on the work life and day-to-day existence of lighthouse keepers and their families. Many images of key lighthouse personalities and old-time keepers and their home life are reproduced here. If you are a lighthouse buff, or if you enjoy revisiting our country's history, The Golden Age of American Lighthouses will be a rewarding and enlightening window to the past. Book jacket.