2 Old Ships Navigation Lights. One brass and one galvanized steel (red). Likely both from the Perko Perkins Light Company, c. 1930s. 

Red Size: 8 X 5 X 9 1/4 in. 

#7141 . 

Brass Size: 7 X 5 X 10 in. 

#7100 . 

Nautical lanterns for guidance and travel on the water can be traced back almost to the beginnings of seafaring. Ancient imagery and writings tell us that oil burning within a container of some sort was used by Greek and Indian sailors, and the The Lighthouse of Alexandria, sometimes called the Pharos of Alexandria, built in Egypt during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (280–247 BC), expanded the principle to extremes, standing over 300 feet high and visible for miles. Over the centuries oil and candlelight were the predominant form of lighting, until electricity became regularly transferable and harnessable. Ship’s lights, lamps and lanterns are constructed of high quality brass and have multiple color schemes for different situations. Specifically, red, green, and white lights may only be displayed at night in configurations known as “Navigation Lights.” The blue lights are displayed exclusively for emergency or law enforcement vessels, and so are rarely seen. White lights are commonly used all around the vessel, while red and green are usually only positioned on the bow or stern, with red indicating the port (left) side of the vessel, and green representing the starboard (right) side.