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101 the preservation efforts happening now." He titled his documentary, e Last Lightkeepers. He interviewed knowledgeable people. A trove of information came from Marble- head author-historian Eric Jay Dolin, whose book, Brilliant Beacons: A History of American Lighthouses, provided a comprehensive guide for the film. Dolin speaks on camera giving context to the narrative line. "Rob chose the important topic of preservation," he says, "and he used key individuals to highlight the nature of the task that confronts them." At one time it's estimated there were about 1,500 lighthouses in the United States, but never more than about 850 in opera- tion at once. Maine led New England with about 80. Seven are located at Cape Ann. But each holds its own singular history, though sometimes imbued with tragedy. "e ocean can be a scary beast," Apse says. "Yearly, the structures face torment." Life near the sea can be unforgiving. "Lighthouse keepers have been romanti- cized," Dolin says. "Many have done heroic things. But you don't want to look back with rose-colored glasses because it was a tough PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ROB APSE (TOP RIGHT) profession." Essentially, their isolated lives were the ultimate in social distancing. is, we understand all too well. Apse also interviewed Jeremy D'Entremont, a renowned lighthouse author, lecturer, and preservationist , who has led restoration ef- forts for many New England lighthouses. e film unfolds with a prologue and five chapters, then concludes with an epilogue. Chapter II, "e Flying Santa," tells the story of the beloved tradition founded in 1929 by aviation pioneer Captain William Wincapaw, who loaded his plane with bags of Christmas gifts and dropped them from on high to in- dustrious lighthouse keepers of Maine below. Later, Edward Rowe Snow of Massachusetts expanded the goodwill deliveries to other Coast Guard stations across New England. Snow's daughter, Dolly Snow Bicknell, attests to her father's 96 percent accuracy to land the packages on his target. Paul St. Germain of Rockport joined the filmmaking effort as a consultant with 22 years of experience as president of the acher Island Association, a group that, along with the acher & Straitsmouth Islands Above, Documentary Filmmaker Rob Apse (right) with Ford Reiche, owner of Halfway Rock Light Station Left, Eric Jay Dolin at Marblehead Lighthouse located at Chandler Hovey Park.