This is a brass ship’s navigation lantern, likely U.S. Navy or merchant marine issue, used as part of a vessel’s running light system for safe nighttime navigation. The piece is marked as the Port (left, red) side and would have been mounted on the ships port side. Navigation lanterns like this were mounted on the port (left, red), starboard (right, green), stern (white), or masthead (white) sides of a ship to meet maritime regulations. They ensured vessels could identify each other’s orientation and direction at night.
Size - 15 Inches tall and 8 Inches wide.
Features:
Material: Polished brass body — common in older naval and commercial ship lanterns because brass resists corrosion from saltwater.
Lens: The ribbed, Fresnel-style glass lens concentrates and projects the light beam, making it visible from long distances at sea. The lens appears to be black or very dark, which likely means it is a port (red) or starboard (green) lens when lit, or possibly a stern light depending on placement.
Top Ventilation: The chimney-like top with holes is a vent for heat dissipation, since these were originally oil lamps or kerosene burners before being converted to electric in later years.
