The Back Story

In 2010 I embarked on a mission to find out the truth behind the rumor that Gustaf Eiffel came to San Jose and secretly stole the plans of the San Jose Light Tower to build his Eiffel Tower.  As ridiculous as it sounds, often there is an element of truth to good rumors. In fact, you will discover that it was not Eiffel who came to visit San Jose but rather the Baron de Rothschild!

The result of my many years of research is the film documentary “The Light Between Two Towers” that describes the events of the period and the people involved in the design and building of the San Jose Light Tower (1881) and the Eiffel Tower (1889). It turns out there is a rather dramatic and compelling relationship that enables San Joseans to rightfully proclaim that the Eiffel Tower drew its inspiration from the San Jose Light Tower built in 1881.

I hope you enjoy this website and the film dedicated to the good people of San Jose, past, present and in the future.

Sincerely,

Thomas Wohlmut
Director/Writer of “The Light Between Two Towers”

United States Premiere – San Jose: 2/20/2019 
International Premiere –  Zurich 9/30/2019

“Thomas Wohlmut performed an incredible job researching the topic, and an outstanding job in applying cinematography to the story.  The result is masterful.”   – Paul Bernal, Official Historian of the City Of San Jose

“The hour long film is a fascinating look into the history of the San Jose icon, which San Jose Mercury Publisher J.J. Owen willed into being in 1881 as a new way of illuminating downtown with electricity. It’s a testament to the notion that the innovative drive that created Silicon Valley was here when this was the Valley of Heart’s Delight, too. Even for local history buffs, the film contained fascinating new gems.”  – Sal Pizarro, Mercury News

“Tom Wohlmut’s documentary, The Light Between Two Towers, uncovers new evidence that the Eiffel Tower—built eight years after San Jose’s Moonlight Tower—might have been based on ours.” – by Richard von Busack, MetroActive