Lighthouse
A lighthouse stands on a small island, surrounded by calm ocean waters and under a partly cloudy sky. A few buildings accompany the lighthouse, adding to the tranquil coastal setting.
Working in a lighthouse sounds romantic—solitary tower, crashing waves, beaming light saving ships—but in reality, almost no one actually “works in a lighthouse” full-time anymore, at least not in the classic sense.
On our way out to whale watch we passed this iconic feature near Boston.
Until the 1980s–1990s, many countries had full-time lighthouse keepers.
Job was 24/7: maintain the light, fog signal, radio, weather reports, rescue coordination, cleaning the lens, painting, etc.
You lived on-site, often with family, for months at a time.
Today: Virtually all lighthouses are automated (LED lights, solar power, remote monitoring). The last staffed lighthouses in regular service disappeared around 1998 (e.g., Fair Isle South in Scotland was the UK’s last).