The Wildwoods: 19201970 follows a path of progress and preservation in a beach community situated along the Atlantic Ocean in historic Cape May County. Starting out in the 1920s, vintage postcards illustrate this shore town's transformation from a sleepy seaside resort into a summer vacation hot spot. Look through a window into the past and see Zaberer's Restaurant in North Wildwood, the Starlight Ballroom on the boardwalk, and the Wingate Motel in the center of Wildwood.

The small town of Phoenixville has a multifaceted industrious past that developed around the Phoenix Iron Company, the silk mill, and the Byrne Knitting Mill. It grew steadily through an influx of European immigrants drawn to the area by the promise of work. This growth resulted in Phoenixvilleas many cultural institutions, such as the Knights of Columbus, the St. Anna Italian Club, and the Holy Trinity Church. The vintage postcards in Around Phoenixville depict the people, places, and events that have shaped the communityas rich history and heritage, with images of such landmarks as the Phoenix Hotel, the West End Fire Company, and the construction of the Gay Street Bridge.

The Wildwoods are four boroughs on a South Jersey barrier island first settled in the late 1800s. Once known as Five Mile Beach, the wind-whipped forest and beaches transformed from fishing town to summer resort. Developers divided the ground into lots, hired architects to draw houses, and construction companies to build them. This all happened during an architectural transition period at the turn of the century, resulting in a diverse range of styles, from Victorian to Craftsman and Gothic to Colonial, many of which were as grand as those in Cape May. Although Wildwood's Victorian architecture was called noteworthy by architects, many homes were not appreciated or protected. Instead of being restored or renovated, they became run-down and were knocked down. But luckily, not all was lost. There are homeowners and developers who see potential in the Wildwoods' history and character. They accept the challenges of preservation, knowing the benefits it brings the community. These people are saving what makes the Wildwoods worth living in.

This 3-vol. work constitutes a vastly enlarged and expanded new edition of the Index to American Photographic Collections, 3rd enlarged edition, differing from the previous editions in two important respects. First is the inclusion of holdings from outside the United States, a natural evolution in our shrinking world. The second is the inclusion of exhibition histories, cross-referenced by photographer and sponsoring institution, providing a useful new context for evaluating less well-known photographers.