The exhibition celebrates the beacons of light and the families that guided mariners through the treacherous shoals for centuries that surround Nantucket. Before modern technology, captains and sailors could only rely on the light from the lighthouses to guide their vessels to safety. And for centuries, the families that manned these lighthouses were just as important in guiding sailors to safety as were the lighthouses. This year's exhibition celebrates not just the Island's historic monuments but also these early heroes. The Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum honors and pay tribute to these men, women, and children by sharing their stories and photographs of their daily life as well as true tales of shipwreck sights and salvage at sea.