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Light Hearted ep 107 – Dan Spinella and Artworks Florida; Scottish architect/artist Alan Dunlop
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Dan Spinella began his Fresnel lens research and restoration work in 1992. His first project was to provide engineering drawings to aid in the restoration of the St. Augustine Lighthouse first-order Fresnel lens. Several restoration projects followed, using both acrylic and glass prisms used to restore historic Fresnel lenses. Dan’s company, Artworks Florida, began creating full-scale reproduction Fresnel lenses in 2004.
To date, 40 reproduction Fresnel lenses have been manufactured. Some of his lenses are installed in lighthouses as aids to navigation and some are on exhibit in lighthouse museums across the country.
Dan has also created numerous short videos that explain the intricate workings of the Fresnel lens and the creation process of the reproduction lenses. The videos can be viewed on the “Artworks Florida” YouTube channel.
(courtesy of Alan Dunlop)
Alan Dunlop is one of the UK’s leading architects and a respected educator. He’s taught at a number of schools of architecture in the UK, the USA, and in Germany. He’s also a gifted artist and his drawings have been exhibited at the Royal Academy in London and the Royal Scottish Academy.
Last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his work, he created a visual diary