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 A Few Selected Items....

Our Reproduction Uniform Insignia used in Oscar nominated movie The Lighthouse with Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. Pic. Universal.

SALE PRICED:

29201. Butler, Karen. Nantucket Lights: An Illustrated History of the Island’s Legendary Beacons. Nantucket. 1996. (151 pp. / 148 illus.) DJ. Lavishly illustrated, Nantucket Lights tells the story of the island’s lighthouses and lightships and the men and women who faithfully kept them. This is one of the most comprehensive and attractive books ever done on the lighthouses of Nantucket. Dazzling images including fascinating historic illustrations as well as recent photographs and paintings, and a carefully researched text illuminate an important aspect of Nantucket’s maritime past. Nantucket's three lighthouses all have fascinating history -- little Brant Point Light, which has been rebuilt more than any other American lighthouse; remote Great Point Light, completely destroyed in a storm in 1984 but rebuilt only two years later; and Sankaty Head Light, the famous "Blazing Star." There's also an excellent chapter on the Nantucket Lightship. Even if you've never been to the "Far Away Island," this book is a must. (M). $24.95. SALE PRICE $18.95.

Just Arrived...   

3026. Charlet, James D. Shipwrecks of the Outer Banks: Dramatic Rescues and Fantastic Wrecks in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. 2020. Rowman & Littlefield. 264p. Stiff wraps. More than 6,000 ships have met their doom in the waters along the North Carolina coast, weaving a rich history of tragedy, drama and heroics along these picturesque beaches. Men have lost their lives and fortunes, and heroes have been made where the combination of mixing currents, treacherous coastline and shifting underwater sandbars spells disaster for even the most seasoned sailor. These are the stories of daring rescues, tragic failures, enduring mysteries, buried treasure, and fascinating legend. Unlike conventional shipwreck books which are simply arranged chronologically, this is a themed-collection: The Well-Known, The Lesser-Known, The Hardly Known, some Dramatic Failures and the Mysterious. Some specific wrecks – the Tiger, the USS Huron, the SS Central America – so impacted our history as to forever alter our fate. All are true stories more about the rescues than the wrecks; the real-life human drama of shipwreck victims and their heroic lifesavers. In their time, the men of the United States Life-Saving Service responded to over 178,000 lives in peril from the sea; of which they saved over 177,000. Yet America all but forgot these peaceful heroes. These eye-opening accounts once again bring their stories to light. (M). Published at $26.95. Our price $24.95. (x)  

1686. (DVD) The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue. DVD. Run time 114 min. PG-13. Based on the extraordinary true story of the greatest smallboat rescue in Coast Guard history, THE FINEST HOURS is a tale of courage, loyalty and honor in the face of overwhelming odds. When a massive storm strikes off the coast of Cape Cod, it rips a T-2 oil tanker in half, trapping more than 30 sailors on its rapidly sinking stern. As BM1 Bernie Webber (Chris Pine) and his crew set out in the station 36-foot motor lifeboat to save them, Chief Engineer Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) struggles to buy his men more time. Packed with heroic larger-than-life action and driven by the men's faith in their mission, themselves and one another, THE FINEST HOURS is a triumph. The Finest Hours has incredible and astonishing true-to-life heroism and action-packed rescue scenes. This marvelous and terrifying yarn ( Los Angeles Times ) deserves a place as a classic of survival at sea ( The Boston Globe). In the days following the ordeal, twenty-one Coast Guardsmen involved in multiple rescue missions would be decorated. Movie is based upon the original 1985 account by Coxswain BM1 Bernard Webber. $29.95. (x)

We have purchased the publisher’s last remaining stock of this title. There will be no more after these have sold.

6275s. Ralph Shanks, Wick York, Lisa Woo Shanks, editor. THE U. S. LIFE-SAVING SERVICE - HEROES, RESCUES AND ARCHITECTURE OF THE EARLY COAST GUARD. 1996. Petaluma , CA. 262p. Winner of the first Foundation for Coast Guard History Award for Best Book on Coast Guard History, this long heralded work by Ralph Shanks and Wick York is once again available. Filling a longtime void in the chronicles of the Life-Saving Service, this book is the result of two decades of research by these highly respected maritime historians. In 272 large format pages, the authors present unforgettable stories of the surfmen and their unsurpassed bravery. Unique to this work is the authors coverage of the architecture of each of the stations across the country. Using over 400 rare photos from the Library of Congress and other historic sources, the authors provide a station by station look at the architectural features that make them such a unique and unforgettable piece of our history. Considered the best reference on the U.S. Life Saving Service on the market. (M).   Softcover $34.95 while they last. 

Sale Price $14.95 plus $4.50 media mail. (x)

1601. Dolin, Eric Jay. Brilliant Beacons - A History of the American Lighthouse. 2016. 1st. 448p. Stiff wraps. DJ. An extraordinary work of historical detection and originality, Brilliant Beacons vividly reframes America’s history through the development of its lighthouses. In a work rich in maritime lore and brimming with original historical detail, Eric Jay Dolin, the best-selling author of Leviathan, presents the most comprehensive history of American lighthouses ever written, telling the story of America through the prism of its beloved coastal sentinels. Set against the backdrop of an expanding nation, Brilliant Beacons traces the evolution of America’s lighthouse system, highlighting the political, military, and technological battles fought to illuminate the nation’s hardscrabble coastlines. In rollicking detail, Dolin treats readers to a memorable cast of characters including the penny-pinching Treasury official Stephen Pleasonton, who hamstrung the country’s efforts to adopt the revolutionary “Fresnel Lens,” and presents tales both humorous and harrowing of soldiers, saboteurs, ruthless egg collectors, and most importantly, the light-keepers themselves. Richly supplemented with over 100 photographs and illustrations throughout, Brilliant Beacons is the most original history of American lighthouses in many decades. 112 illustrations; 8 pages of color. (M). Published at $29.95. Sale Price $14.95 plus $4.50 media mail.

Filled with early images, many from private collections and never before published.

Read about the heroic 1952 rescue of the crews from the SS Pendleton and SS Fort Mercer, still considered today the most heroic small-boat rescues in Coast Guard history

Read about the lightship crews and their dangerous missions, guarding the shoals and coastline of Cape Cod

Read about the Momomoy Disaster, in which seven life-savers perished while attempting to rescue the crew of the barge Wadena.

Read about Nauset’s famous “Three Sisters” lighthouses, the only such lighthouse configuration in the country, why they were built and what became of them.

Read about the Chatham lights and why they were moved so often.

Read about the Old Harbor Life-Saving Station, who’s crew rescued 34 persons in the first five years of operation.

Read about the many changes at Race Point Light Station and its renewed importance today

1443. Claflin, James W. Lighthouses and Life-Saving Along Cape Cod. Arcadia. 2014. 128p. Soft wraps. With over 200 vintage photographs, this is the fourth volume in a series of photographic histories of lighthouses and lifesaving along the coasts of the United States by the author. For centuries, heroic men and women have guarded the treacherous yet beloved Cape Cod coastlines. From Provincetown to Chatham, Sandwich to Cuttyhunk, and many towns in between, residents have relied on the Atlantic for employment and nourishment. But Cape Cod has always been plagued with a shifting coastline that consistently defies mariners’ efforts to pass through Massachusetts waters. In 1792, as shipping increased, mariners petitioned for a sorely needed lighthouse. It was not until 1797 that the first lighthouse on Cape Cod was built at the Highlands in North Truro. More lights and rescue stations would follow as the seas claimed their toll. Many lightship stations were also established from Chatham through Nantucket Sound to mark the constantly changing sandbars submerged offshore—more than in any other spot along the US coastline. Today, as sea levels change and sands continue to shift, some of these historic stations have been lost or moved, while still others are preserved only in such photographs as these. This compact volume features over 200 early photographs dating from the 1870’s through the 1960’s, drawn from the author’s and other private collections, most never before published, and traces the history of these services through photos and text. (M). $21.99. (x) 

Even Better than Expected: 

    1276. Cheek, Richard (ed). From Guiding Lights to Beacons for Business: The Many Lives of Maine's Lighthouses. Historic New England. 2012. 240p. Soft wraps. Published by Historic New England, this new book contains an amazing amount of material with a layout and design like no other book published about Maine's Lighthouses. The influence of Maine's lighthouses derives not just from the structures themselves but from the myriad forms of writing, representation and reproduction that they have inspired. This book is the third volume in the visual history series that Historic New England is publishing, and contains  ten detailed chapters by seven authors, with an introduction by Senator Snowe. With 240 pages and hundreds of color and b/w images, the book is loaded with amazing facts and wonderful visual imagery. Some chapters include: Throw Out the Life-Line, Shaping the Towers, All Alone and Ever Ready, Children Lighthouses and Lifeboats, Saving the Sentinels. The perfect, entertaining, Maine lighthouse book and a must-have for anyone with interest in lighthouses and how they have influenced society, advertising and more over the last century. Shown above is an image from the book, Keepers Robert T. Sterling and Frank Hilt, keepers at Portland Head Light. This is a limited printing and sure to sell out fast. (M). $34.95.

The perfect gifts: 

1172. (print) “Kate’s Light” by Len F. Tantillo. 21” x 28” on heavy weight stock. Superb print is from the painting of Robbins Reef Lighthouse by New York State historical and marine artist Len F. Tantillo. Robbins Reef lighthouse is on  the West Side Main Channel in Upper New York Bay . In 1839, the first lighthouse to mark this navigational hazard was constructed: an octagonal stone tower, painted white, that stood atop a stone base. In 1883 this four-story, iron “sparkplug” tower was erected. The bottom story served as a kitchen and dining room, and was originally encircled by a partially enclosed porch. A pair of bedrooms was located on the second floor. To give the tower a distinctive marking, the top half was painted white and the bottom portion brown. The brown and white cylindrical lighthouse stands as monument to the lady who "kept the good light" for over 30 years. Her name was Kate Walker and the captains in the harbor affectionately refer to Robbin's Reef as "Kate's Light". Kate was respected by all for her courage and stamina. She could be seen rowing her children to school each day on Staten Island and is responsible for saving many a stranded boater. If you look closely, you will see Keeper Kate Walker standing on the lower gallery as she watches the U.S. Lighthouse Service Buoy tender working the waters around the lighthouse. To the right, in the distance, you can see the Statue of Liberty. Quality print is on heavy weight stock and is rich in color and includes superb detail of the turn-of-the-century scene. Perfect for framing. $139.

 Available Now!   

1166. United States Light House Establishment. “Price List of Standard Articles (for Lighthouse Purposes) Furnished from General Depot, Thompkinsville, New York. 1901”. Washington. GPO. 83p. We have known of the existence of this document but until now have been unable to find it. It includes listings and descriptions of items available from the General Lighthouse Depot in Staten Island, for use by keepers at light stations, depots, for use on light vessels and tenders, and  more. Included are 18 text pages, 44 full page photo plates and 21 fold-out plates of implements and equipment. Prices are included for budgeting purposes when requesting such items from the General Depot (keepers Service basket $5, First Order Revolving Lens $6,328, etc). Plates include steam whistles, automatic sirens,  electric buoy lantern, engines to power fog signals, fog signal house, Daboll trumpet, bell striking apparatus, air pressure lamps, 4th, 5th, 6th order lamps, lightship and tender lamps, table lamp, locomotive headlight lantern, lens lantern, light vessel lanterns, post lantern, revolving clock mechanisms, revolving lenses, keeper’s service basket, oil carrier, dustpan, drip pan, oil feeder, oil measure, and more. A “must” for museums, collectors, writers and researchers on the subject and anyone interested in the apparatus used by the Lighthouse Service. Spiral bound, photo-reproduced copy. (M). $86.

10426. Richmond, Arthur P. Cape Cod Lighthouses and Lightships. Schiffer. 2010. 256p. Hard cover. This is an indispensable reference for the lighthouse enthusiast, required reading for those interested in maritime history, and a necessity for anyone who loves Cape Cod. Step back in time and observe the lighthouses and lightships that marked the shores and guided mariners through dangerous waters surrounding Cape Cod. Experience these maritime marvels and trace through the history of these lighthouses and lightships. Archived plans describe the details of these aids to navigation with more than 500 images, including some that have never before been published. Complete your journey with a visit to these historic spots, using the books comprehensive visitors’ guide. “Cape Cod Lighthouses and Lightships” is so thoroughly researched, so packed with individual narratives and visuals, that it is one of the most comprehensive books on Cape lighthouses to date. (M) $45. Our price $41.95.

Kenrick A. Claflin & Son Nautical Antiques

Kenrick A. Claflin - Founder        James W. Claflin ( photo by Andy Price)

 Kenrick A. Claflin & Son specializes in the field of United States Lighthouse Service, Life-Saving Service, Revenue Cutter Service and early Coast Guard. More particularly, we work to provide various governmental agencies, historical groups,  restoration contractors and collectors with information and original artifacts relating to lighthouses, life-saving stations, etc. in their area.  My father Ken Claflin began the company in 1956, specializing in antique automobile information and parts as well as estate and antique car auctions. I joined him in the 1960's and continued into the 1980's, when we changed the focus to lighthouses and related services. 

We are always looking for new acquisitions on the subject and actively purchase individual items or entire collections. Because of our knowledge and experience, and our ability to find qualified buyers, we can pay the highest prices possible for your finds.

We have a very large customer base which reaches all segments of maritime collectors and museums throughout the United States , and parts of Canada , Europe, Asia and Australia . We are the largest dealer in such antiques in the world. In addition, we accept items on consignment and have an extensive ability to achieve the highest return for your items. Your items would be included in our extensive lighthouse and Life-Saving Service catalogue, as well as on or web site and through internet auctions as well. We can also quote directly to known customers with an interest, to provide a rapid return in many cases. We do so on a percentage basis and at a minimum selling price approved by you.

To help you with determining values of your items, we do offer appraisal services as well on an hourly basis at a rate of $25 / hour. However, if you chose to sell your items through us this fee would be waived. 

We look forward to hearing from you if we can be of help.

Procedure to order items:

1. I suggest that you call us or email to check on availability of any item that you would like other than recent books. As items go quite quickly, please call and leave a message to reserve items that you would like. I will return your call, hold the items and await your letter or credit card information. We will also weigh the items and advise postage. 

2. You may then call or email credit card information, or forward a check in the mail.

What customers have said about us:

"Thank you for your quick response to our flag order. We were very pleased with its quality." Frank. Redondo Beach, Ca.

"I received the Assistant Keeper's uniform today and I am very pleased with the quality and the craftsmanship that went into it... I will wear it proudly." Richard. Muncie, In.

"My shipment arrived in perfect condition. Thanks a ton, my dad loves the mugs." George. Bear, De.

"The hat and badge arrived today and looked wonderful." Kat. Reisterstown, MD.

"It is a rare day and time and very refreshing to do business with someone who is truly customer oriented." Ben. Roanoke, Va. 

"I am delighted with the items that I ordered from you." Roberta. Wadley, Ga.

"The cap arrived in fine condition. You were right, the condition is superb for its age. Thank you for your prompt service". Dale. Burley, Wa.

"Thanks so much for your "instantaneous" response! What great customer service! Your customer service is unparalleled!" Joe. South Haven, Mi.

See Us at the Following Antique Shows:

Brimfield Flea Market. J&J Promotions. To be determined. 

Cape Cod Antiques Dealers Association. Orleans. To be determined.

For Canada - Nova Scotia items - please visit our New Canada page. 

For Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard items, please visit our New Nantucket Page !

For Cape Cod items, please visit our New Cape Cod Page !

For U. S. Revenue Cutter Service, please visit our new Revenue Cutter Service Page !

For Massachusetts Humane Society, please visit our New Massachusetts Humane Society Page !

For Lightships, please visit our new Lightships Page !

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For Dinnerware (U.S.L.H.S., U.S.C.G., Navy, etc), please visit our new Dinnerware Page !

For Light Lists and Coast Pilots, please visit our new Light List and Coast Pilots Page !

For Fresnel Lenses, Lamps, Lanterns, Lamp-changers, please visit our Fresnel Lens Page !

For Royal National Lifeboat Institution, please visit our RNLI Page !

For U.S. Volunteer Life Saving Corps, please visit our USVLSC Page !

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For other subjects, please use buttons at upper left.

20230. Farson, Robert H., TWELVE MEN DOWN – Massachusetts Sea Rescues. Yarmouth Port. 2000. 246p. 191 photos and illustrations. In Colonial Days Massachusetts turned to the sea for her livelihood. With the growth of coastal and deepwater fleets, many trips ended in disaster. The loss of life was so great that in the late 1700’s the Massachusetts Humane Society was formed. Their work up to World War II, and the work of its successor the U. S. Life-Saving Service, are detailed in this wonderful new work. From Martha’s Vineyard and Cuttyhunk, to Nantucket, Cape Cod and up the coast to Salisbury Beach , there were small stations with surfboats and breeches buoy apparatus. This is a book about rescues near the coast by men who rowed small boats into mountainous waves, many in bitterly cold weather. Thousands of sailors were saved by these intrepid men and their story of selfless dedication comes alive in Mr. Farson’s work. Nicely illustrated with numerous vintage photographs. (M). (Published at $36.)  Special Purchase Price  $24.95.

10115. Benchley, Rob and Robert D. Felch. Keeping the Light – The Epic Move and Preservation of Nantucket’s Sankaty Head Lighthouse. 2009. Sconset Trust. 144p. DJ. A lighthouse has stood on Sankaty Head near the village of Siasconset since 1850, the third such aid built on the island. However, in recent years coastal erosion had brought the surf perilously close to the lighthouse, threatening to topple it into the sea with a future gale. Fortunately the ’Sconset Trust took on the project to oversee the light’s restoration and to raise funds to move the light tower safely away from the eroding cliffs. This epic historic preservation project was successful due to a tremendous island-wide outpouring of support. The new ’Sconset Trust book, Keeping the Light, documenting this historic move, has just been released. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of photographs, the book chronicles the formation of a plan, the move and the tower’s restoration, once again the famous "Blazing Star". Beautifully done, this will make a superb addition to anyone’s collection. (M). $98.

29313. Ryder, Richard G. Seashore Sentinel: The Old Harbor Lifesaving Station on Cape Cod. West Barnstable. 2009. 120p. Soft wraps. This latest account of the history and life at Cape Cod’s Old Harbor Life-Saving Station updates his older work - OLD HARBOR STATION CAPE COD – now long out of print but still in demand. This extremely worthwhile account of the life-savers at the Old Harbor Life Saving Station in Chatham , Mass., is a one of a kind, chronicling not only much of the wrecks and work of the life savers, but particularly looking at the equipment issued to such a station at the time and the lives of the men living and working there. Includes many photographs, wreck accounts, life at the station, moving the station and much more. A most interesting chronicle. (M). $12.95.

(tintype) U.S. Life Saving Service Surfman c.1870. 1/6th plate. Please see our Life-Saving Service page. 

 "A Gripping Read":

28348. Wilkinson, William D. and CDR Timothy R. Dring, USNR (Retired). American Coastal Rescue Craft - A Design History Of Coastal Rescue Craft Used By The United States Life-Saving Service And The United States Coast Guard. University Press. 2009. 185p. Unjacketed cloth. With CD-ROM with 323 b/w illustrations. Long awaited, this exhaustive reference work describes detailed history and technical design information on every type of rescue craft ever used by the U.S. Life Saving Service (USLSS) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) from the 1800s to current day. By looking at these vessels, many of which featured innovative designs, the authors shed light on the brave men and women who served in these heroic services. The first of its kind ever to be published in the United States on this topic, the book and accompanying CD provide detailed information, drawings, and photographs (many of which have never before appeared in print) for each type of surfboat, lifeboat, and utility craft, along with a complete list of every boat ever built and assigned coastal rescue station(s). Included are motorized, wind-powered and human-powered vessels. The book is organized into two major sections: 1) a general, historical narrative, and 2) detailed technical appendices. This college text-sized book is 185 pages in length, with about 140 photos and diagrams. In addition, a reference/appendix section on a co-packaged CD will include 323 additional photos and diagrams. The book is co-authored by William D. Wilkinson, Director Emeritus of the Mariners Museum in Newport News , VA , and CDR Timothy R. Dring, USNR (Retired). Mr. Wilkinson has been engaged since the 1950s in the historical research of small craft used for rescue purposes, and is a well-recognized expert in this field. He is currently an official historical consultant to the USCG on this subject. CDR Dring, although not a professional historian, has had previous experience in the Navy working closely with the Coast Guard on harbor and coastal defense, and has a great interest in and respect for the humanitarian rescue operations this Service conducts with specialized small craft. The extensive research that went into this book, including reference to original USLSS and USCG documents held by the National Archives, has had the full support of the USCG’s Historian, Dr. Robert Browning, and his staff. The most comprehensive work on Coastal Rescue Craft used by the United States Life-Saving Service and the United States Coast Guard ever published. (M). $125.  Order now as only a limited number were printed. (Ask about our U.S.L.S.S.H.A. discount.) 

   The term “Hero” has become too often used today.  After reading this memoir, you will realize what a real hero is -

28129. Galluzzo, John. Lifesavers of the South Shore – A History of Rescue and Loss. History Press. 2008. DJ. 128p. However cruelly the rocks of Massachusetts 's South Shore have treated storm-driven sailors, there can be no questioning the selflessness and courage of the keepers and surfmen who played host to the no man's land between frozen beach and gale-tossed sea. Read John Galluzzo's enthralling account of the Life-Saving Service and meet legends like Joshua James, whose surfboat, Nantasket, once saved twenty-nine men from six boats in a grueling thirty-six hours. Chart a course through the service's history, from its humble beginning in the refuge huts built after the American Revolution until its absorption into the U.S. Coast Guard in the twentieth century. (M). $19.99.

28375. Hodgkins, John. A Soldier's Son: An American Boyhood during World War II. Down East Books. 2006. 325p. Soft wraps. John Hodgkins was eight years old when his father was drafted into the army and left for Europe to fight in World War II. After his return, John's father never spoke much about the war, but John knew he'd kept a diary. After his father's death, John opened his diary and two boxes of memorabilia. What began as John's attempt to tell his father's story became the story of his own life. This memoir recounts what life was like on the home front of Temple, Maine, during the war -- as well as what life was like on the front lines, thanks to what John learned from his father's letters home and his war diary. It also provides a firsthand look at the hardscrabble lives of rural Mainers and a way of living that is now mostly gone. (M). $16.95.

Special No Postage Offer - see our Recent Releases page.

Nominated for the 2008 Foundation for Coast Guard History book award:

27268. Claflin, James W. HISTORIC NANTUCKET: SURFSIDE LIFE-SAVING STATION - A History of Nantucket’s Life-Saving Stations. Volume I. Worcester. 2007. 79 p. Soft wraps. Special edition, signed and numbered of 500, includes pasted in wood chip from the Surfside Life-Saving Station. Historic Nantucket: Surfside Life-Saving Station is one of a continuing series of booklets that tell the story of historic lighthouses, lightships and life-saving stations along the New England Coast . The Nantucket coastline has long been one of the most dangerous areas along the New England coast. Over the years four life-saving stations and eight Massachusetts Humane Society stations stood guard over the island’s shores, standing ready to combat the seas in an effort to rescue shipwrecked mariners in their time of need. With thousands of vessels plying the dangerous waters, the chance of a shipping disaster was always great. Hundreds of shipwrecks did indeed occur off the coast with startling losses. Using descriptive text and a variety of vintage images from private as well as museum collections, we get a rare glimpse into the history of the area and the lives of these dedicated government men and women. Author James Claflin combines an extensively researched text with his exquisite collection of vintage photographs, many previously unpublished, to tell the story of this important piece of history. (M). $8.95.

Photo at right courtesy Ken Gehle Photography, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.

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