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Leawood, KS
$13.00
Title
Key West Lighthouse
Artist
Catherine Sherman
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
"Key West, Florida, Lighthouse" by Catherine Sherman.
No longer an active lighthouse, the Key West Lighthouse is still a beacon for tourists visiting this vibrant tropical cultural and literary city at the western end of Florida Keys. Key West is the southernmost point of the continental United States.
The Key West Lighthouse was opened in 1848, replacing an 1825 lighthouse that was destroyed in an 1846 hurricane. Barbara Mabrity became a Key West lightkeeper in 1832 in the original lighthouse after the death of her husband and served for 32 years in both lighthouses. She survived the 1846 hurricane which destroyed the first lighthouse, although 14 people died who took shelter, including seven members of her family.
The lighthouse was needed for the United States Navy, which had established a Base in Key West in 1823 and continues to operate on the island, and for fishing fleets and commercial ships. The lighthouse made it easier to navigate the shallow, reef-laden waters off the Florida Keys.
Many of the early residents of Key West became extremely wealthy saving passengers from ship wrecks and charging high fees for salvaging the goods. Called salvage wreckers, these entrepreneurs built many of the beautiful, large, well-made homes in Key West that have survived many severe storms.
When the current Key West Lighthouse was completed, it was 50 feet (15 m) tall with 13 lamps in 21-inch (530 mm) reflectors, and stood on ground about 15 feet (4.6 m) above sea level. After a series of improvements, the lighthouse reached its current height of 100 feet (30 m) above sea level in 1894. The tower is conical and constructed of brick. It was automated in 1915 and decommissioned in 1969.
The lighthouse is across the street from a large house where the Pulitzer and Nobel prize winning writer Ernest Hemingway lived from 1931 to 1939. The lighthouse sometimes served as a landmark to Hemingway after a night out with friends. The Hemingway House was built by the marine architect and salvage wrecker Asa Tift in 1851.
After the Coast Guard decommissioned the Key West Light in 1969, it was turned over to Monroe County and is now a museum. Visitors can climb the 88 steps to the top and visit the lightkeeper's house.
Featured in "New FAA Uploads" group (03/17/2018); "Images That Excite You" group (03/18/2018); "Camera Art" group (03/26/2018); "ABC Group - L is for Landmark" (07/13/2019); "Covered Bridges and Historical Buildings" group (07/29/2022); "Showcasing the South" group (07/09/2023); "10 Plus" group (07/20/2023)
Uploaded
February 24th, 2018
Statistics
Viewed 1,656 Times - Last Visitor from Cambridge, MA on 04/25/2024 at 1:04 AM
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Sales Sheet
Conroe, TX - United States
Excellent capture! Congratulations! This will be the “Lighthouses in the USA” photo of the day on the USA Photographers group home page for 12/8/23!
Providence Forge, VA - United States
Beautiful capture! Congrats on your special feature in Showcasing the South group.
Columbia, MD - United States
Congrats, your Image was chosen as a SPECIAL FEATURE Lighthouses of South and Mid Atlantic . Your Image is featured on the HOME PAGE of the group.
Coal Center, PA - United States
Wonderful composition and image! Congratulations! I’m am very pleased to feature your beautiful image in the group ‘Covered Bridges and Historical Buildings.’ It’s a wonderful addition to the group! Please add it to the “2022 Third Quarter Featured Image Collection” thread in the discussions area for a permanent record of your feature. Thank you! 7/29/22
Western, IL - United States
Congratulations! Your marvelous art has been featured on the Home Page of the ABC Group. This art has been selected from L IS FOR LANDMARK week July 8-14! You are invited to add this wonderful art to the features archive
Western, IL - United States
Congratulations on your wonderful artwork being featured in Camera Art! You are invited to archive your work in the Features Archive thread! group as well as any other thread in which it would fit! ! LF
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