A bird-cage lantern was the style of lantern common to American lighthouses in the early years of the nineteenth century. The lanterns received their name because of their appearance; they are shaped like wire bird cages.
When Fresnel lenses were introduced to the country in the 1850s, most lighthouses were retrofitted with new lanterns, as the older ones could not support the new style of lens. Consequently, only four lighthouses with original bird-cage lanterns survive in the United States; those that do were discontinued before they could be fitted for the new lantern.
Read more about Bird-cage Lantern: Remaining Lanterns
Famous quotes containing the word lantern:
“My tea is nearly ready and the sun has left the sky;
It’s time to take the window to see Leerie going by;
For every night at tea-time and before you take your seat,
With lantern and with ladder he comes posting up the street.”
—Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894)