First Order Lightstation Calendar

As usual, I’m a little behind the curve time wise, but I have created a calendar on RedBubble. If you haven’t quite finished your Christmas shopping or met your calendar needs for 2011, perhaps this might serve. But I put this series into a calendar mainly because the pictures seemed to me to tell a story.

These photographs were taken at the Tybee Lighthouse on Tybee Island in Georgia. The first lighthouse was built in 1736. A first-order Fresnel lens was installed in 1867. More of the history of the lighthouse and environs is available here.

When I was there, I was struck by some similarities between the life of a lighthouse keeper (at least at this lighthouse) and a member of a religious order. The isolated setting and limited community, unending labor to fuel the original lamps and long hours, and then of course the selfless dedication to preserving light and warding off darkness and destruction all suggest a particular vocation. One might also think of the cyclical nature of work, the endless climbing of stairs, the ultimate futility of all human work without illumination from above to sanctify it. And of course the cyclical nature of a calendar and the seasons.

The name First Order Lightstation came from the fact that the Fresnel lens in the lighthouse is a “first order Fresnel lens,” the largest on a scale of 6 (although the system has since been altered) and, of course, the notion of lighthouse keepers as being in something like a religious order.

The calendar is available for viewing or purchase here. Individual cards or prints of each image can be viewed or purchased here.

(I also just noticed that you can start your 12-month calendar on whatever month you prefer, so I guess I’m not “too late” after all.)