Digest>Archives> May/Jun 2014

From The Archives: Shenanigans at Mt. Desert Rock Lighthouse

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We recently took a closer look at some of the old photos that lighthouse keeper George York developed himself at Maine’s Mt. Desert Rock Lighthouse where he served as the lighthouse keeper from 1928 to 1936. Many of his photos were recently donated to us by his daughter Shirley York Robinson. Because the York family lived on a lighthouse 25 miles out to sea, the only way George York could quickly view the photos taken on the island was to develop them himself. However, because of space and his location, most of his photos were quite small, as was also common in those days. Now, thanks to modern technology, when we enlarged this photo of keeper York that he posed for in front of the lighthouse, we noticed something that we had not seen before. On the roof of the shed to the left of George York, just past his right shoulder, was his six year old son Bill who had apparently jumped from the rock to the roof of the shed. George York may never have known that his son was up to some shenanigans when the photo was taken. And, since the person who took the photo was probably so far away at the time, they also may have not noticed Bill on the roof. Regardless, it’s a neat slice of family lighthouse life at this remote lighthouse, something that never again will be repeated in the annals of time. Also shown on the right side of this photo is the 2nd Assistant Keeper’s house that once stood on the island. Today the lighthouse is an outpost of the College of the Atlantic, primarily used to monitor ocean life.

This story appeared in the May/Jun 2014 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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