Readers will buy this book because they’re intrigued by the sketches. They’ll read it because it’s a compelling story of lighthouse road trips with sidebars introducing a wealth of lighthouse information.

This is a history of lighthouse building on the Great Lakes. Road trip sojourns introduce about 140 lighthouse sketches. Captions explain each lighthouse story and drawings introduce even more captioned lighthouses. Sidebars present a wealth of information explaining how lighthouses and their components work as well as the lighthouse establishment itself and other support services. An epilogue contains thumbnail sketches of lighthouses from around the world. In all about 400 sketches, maps, and diagrams illustrate the book.

Jim Lammers, FAIA, was educated as an architect back when freehand sketching was an integral part of the curriculum. He holds degrees in architecture from Columbia University and Iowa State University. In addition to his private practice, Jim taught in the architecture program at the University of Minnesota for 18 years. He currently teaches travel sketching at Marine Mills Folk Art Center in Marine on St Croix, Minnesota.
A persistent writer and relentless sketcher, Jim has been published in a number of professional journals and on websites. His drawings have been exhibited at Landmark Center, Hallburg Center for the Arts, Phipps Art Center, and ArtReach. His books, Capture the Moment: An Architect’s Guide to Travel Sketching, and Barns of the St Croix Valley: An Architect’s Sketchbook have been published by ORO Editions. When not absorbed in writing or sketching, Jim enjoys working as arborist on his 100-year-old farmstead.