Through the Lens
How a story about a lighthouse brought two alumni together
By Jenevieve Rowley-Davis
As a brief pitstop between photographing rockstar Frank Turner shows in Buffalo, N.Y. and Indianapolis, Rich Russo ’84 made the trek to Fairport Harbor, Ohio, to shoot a completely different subject—the 99-year-old lighthouse owned by Sheila Consaul ’80.
The Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Light is situated about a 20-minute walk from the nearest road, nestled along the shore of Lake Erie. After a pleasant walk along the sandy trail through Headlands Beach State Park, Russo arrived at Consaul’s doorstep ecstatic to photograph everything that caught his eye.
“Given my love of lighthouses, I was almost too giddy to photograph it,” Russo said. “To have access to a functioning lighthouse was such a thrill.”
His excitement was infectious.
“Rich was a ball of energy and completely enamored with the lighthouse and learning about its history and restoration,” Consaul said. “It was a very different subject matter for him to photograph, so his curiosity was off the charts. While I’ve had my photo at the lighthouse taken by many significant publications and TV
shows, Rich was just downright fun. I particularly enjoy meeting alums like myself who were not from Illinois, yet chose Bradley for all of its outstanding qualities.”
As Consaul gave the tour and Russo started shooting with aplomb, they reminisced about their Bradley experiences.
“Sheila graduated in the spring prior to my arrival at Bradley in the fall of ’84,” Russo explained. “She lived in University Hall and I worked in the U-Hall cafeteria. Hearing about her time on BU’s inaugural women’s tennis team was very interesting.”
“The lighthouse brings all kinds of people together, especially many of my Bradley friends,” Consaul said. Barring any unmissable concerts, Russo hopes he can return next year for the 100-year anniversary of the lighthouse.
To see the results of Consaul and Russo’s photoshoot, check out “For the Love of History: Finding Home in a Lighthouse” on page 27. To see some of Russo’s concert photography, check out “Punk Rock Retiree” on page 33.