![]() One stalwart sentinel remains in South Africa three in France a handful in India, Myanmar (also known as Burma) and Portugal and fewer than 50 in Canada. Australia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway and many other nations no longer employ a single operator. The UK’s last custodian left his post at the North Foreland Lighthouse in Kent in 1998 – the same year, the US Coast Guard automated the last of its 279 federally run beacons. In fact, with the exception of seasonal volunteers and educational guides, there are hardly any lighthouse keepers left on the planet. Wood pyres evolved into coal, gas, oil and electricity, and today, according to The Lighthouse Directory, more than 20,500 of these enduring landmarks still illuminate the world’s darkest and most dangerous stretches of coastline.īut as marine navigation tools and satellite automation have become more sophisticated, the need for lighthouses and their human operators has been virtually snuffed out. Around 280BC, these ground-lit beacons were raised onto towers, like the Lighthouse of Alexandria. ![]() ![]() Thousands of years ago, people lit bonfires high atop cliffs to guide sailors to port. “This work is beautiful, but it’s dying.”Īs long as there have been ships, there have been light keepers. “Think about how many keepers have lived inside these walls, always keeping the light on to guide others,” D’Oriano said, gazing out from the lantern room towards the twilight.
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