Lighthouses. Everybody loves 'em. There are tall ones, fat ones, white ones and red ones. Some are on land, others on water or pilings. Some are on the rocks. Architecturally they display a wide variety of practical design and beauty. But all were dedicated to serve the same purpose: to serve as a beacon to guide ships safely along America's water ways and shipping lanes. Photographer Keith Clancy shares America's fondness for lighthouses. So much so that he's photographed and researched Delaware's 14 lighthouses. On Friday, May 21 he will present to the Lewes Historical Society "Night Lights: A Pictorial Tour of Delaware's Lighthouses." The presentation begins at 7:30 p.m. at St. Peter's Parish Hall on Mulberry Street between Second and Third Streets in Lewes.

Clancy says that photography wasn't something that he envisioned as the core of his career: "I would say that I have taken a rather circuitous and unconventional route to reach my current position as a freelance photographer. I developed an interest and a passion for photography way back in the spring of 1973, after purchasing a Kodak pocket Instamatic-remember those?- while bicycling through the Carolinas."

His path to freelance photography saw him as an assistant professor of botany at Washington State University from 1988 to 1990 and as an ecologist for the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) from 1990 to 1998. He says photography played a big role in his work as a university professor and an ecologist. Since leaving DNREC he has been a regular contributor to DNREC's official publication Outdoor Delaware, and his article on Delaware's Lighthouses entitled "Night Lights" in the Spring/Summer 2002 issue provided the impetus to invite him to speak at the Historical Society's meeting.

"For me lighthouses are a glimpse of the past. They're nostalgic. They speak of simpler days, you know, before the internet and satellites," he says. "They are excellent photographic subjects because of their appeal, their variation and architecture and design. I guess that's what drew me to them even before I began photographing them." He says that his photography and research on Delaware's lights took almost a year before his photos and article appeared in the magazine. Clancy's presentation will consist of his slides of the state's lighthouses or their remains as well as additional photographs of those that have fallen victim to time, neglect, vandalism and mother nature.

When he's not taking pictures, he is the collections manager at the Claude E. Phillips Herbarium at Delaware State University- a museum, or library, of dried plant specimens. The Phillips Herbarium contains more than 150,000 specimens collected over the years by botanists. The museum's oldest specimen dates back to 1799. He is also co-founder and president of the Delaware Native Plant Society which is interested in all things related to native plants. He is currently finishing a book on wildflowers to be published by the University of Pennsylvania Press.

The meeting is free and the public is cordially invited. Refreshments will follow the presentation.

©2002-2005 The Lewes Historical Society