Moss, George H., Jr. and Karen L. Schnitzspahn. Those Innocent Years, 1898-1914 by George H. Moss and Karen L. Schnitzapahn.

Images of the Jersey Shore from the Pach Photographic Collection.  Signed.  Ploughshare Press, 1997. 1st softcover edition, SIGNED by both authors on preliminary title page. 142 pages.  Pach Brothers were known as Photographers to the Presidents because they photographed several U.S. Presidents who vacationed in Monmouth County, where the Pach Brothers had one of their primary studio locations, along with New York.  Very substantial collections of Pach photographs are at the New-York Historical Society, Monmouth County Historical Association, and Monmouth University. 9 1/2 by 13 inches with many full page illustrations.  Summary:

hose Innocent Years, 1898–1914: Images of the Jersey Shore from the Pach Photographic Collection is a 140-page historical photography book co-authored by picture historian George H. Moss Jr. and independent historian Karen L. Schnitzspahn. The book provides a visual archive of the turn-of-the-century Gilded Age along the New Jersey coastline.

Overview of the Book

• The Authors: George H. Moss Jr., a prominent local historian and former Monmouth County Historian, collaborated with researcher and author Karen L. Schnitzspahn to curate and contextualize the imagery.

• The Collection: The book is built around the G.W. Pach Photographic Collection, drawing from thousands of vintage glass-plate negatives captured by the Pach photography studios in coastal hotspots like Long Branch and Lakewood.

• Structure: It compiles over a hundred high-quality, full-page historic photographs alongside narrative commentary detailing the architecture, society, and customs of the era.

The Gilded Age Resort Culture

The book captures the pre-World War I era, often romanticized as a simpler time of "innocence" for America's elite before global conflict reshaped society. It highlights the leisure culture of the exceptionally wealthy who spent their summers in prominent coastal enclaves like Sea Bright, Rumson, Long Branch, and Spring Lake.

The visual narrative documents the magnificent, sprawling summer estates, high-society social gatherings, early seaside recreation, and the affluent lifestyles that defined the Jersey Shore's transformation into America's premier vacation destination for the wealthy.

• Fine signed with slight bend on verso near spine.
• New unsigned copies also available.