Why Did the Yankees Want the St. Simons Lens?
A.W. Jones Heritage Center 610 Beachview Drive, Saint Simons Island, Georgia 31522
Dr. Theresa Levitt will present "Why did the Yankees want the St. Simons Lens?: The Invention and Turbulent History of Fresnel's Lighthouse Lens” on August 20. As in her recent book, A Short Bright Flash: Augustin Fresnel and the Invention of the Modern Lighthouse,Levitt will weave together technology and personal drama to tell the tale of Fresnel and his famous lens. Her lecture will also examine the fate of lighthouses along the southern coast, including the St. Simons Light, during the Civil War. Dr. Levitt is an associate professor of history at the University of Mississippi. A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she has a M.A. in history from Iowa State University and a Ph.D. from Harvard University.
The 2015 Chautauqua Lecture Series is sponsored by Wells Fargo Advisors. Lectures will take place on Thursday evenings at 6 p.m. at the A.W. Jones Heritage Center as part of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society’s educational programming. The cost for the series is $30 for members and $75 for non-members. Registration is required for all attendees. To register, call 912-634-7099, or visit saintsimonslighthouse.org.
