ABSTRACT
The beam of the lighthouse sweeps in an arc, reaching out to illuminate different points of the compass. There are multiple short excursions into specialised contributions, but the overall aim is to circle the lighthouse to consider the advantages of a 360° view. The history of lighthouses is an account of changing technologies for building lighthouses, and for creating and distributing light. Appearing in the conversation is a range of objects that could be described as the lighthouse's material relatives: other technologies for surveillance and warning, and for bringing people home safely, such as beacons and airport control towers. Geographical rather than disciplinary territoriality emerges as a key theme, as does the importance of the location of the lighthouse in the liminal space at the edge of the land, marking a critical boundary between concrete form and formless fluid.
