Long Beach Island. Island Album: Photographs and Memories of Long Beach Island by Margaret Thomas Buchholz.

Foreword by Larry Savadove.  Down the Shore, 2006.  First printing.  Hardcover with dust jacket. Fine, virtually like new. Profusely illustrated, includes much history of the island. ISBN 9781593220219.  208 pages. Issued at $48.  Key words: Long Beach Island, Ocean County, New Jersey; Jersey Shore; Beaches; Storms; Trains; Barenegat Lighthouse; Grand Hotels; Yacht Clubs; Coast Guard; Lucy Evelyn, schooner, et al. Summary:

Island Album: Photographs and Memories of Long Beach Island by Margaret Thomas Buchholz is a nostalgic and meticulously curated visual history of the iconic New Jersey barrier island.

The book serves as a "family album" for the entire community, blending personal narratives with archival imagery to capture the essence of LBI before it became a bustling modern tourist destination.

Key Themes and Content

• A Visual Timeline: The core of the book is its collection of vintage photographs, many sourced from private family collections. These images document the evolution of the island from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century.

• The Golden Age of Coastal Life: Buchholz highlights a simpler era defined by wooden boardwalks, grand Victorian hotels, and the rugged lifestyle of early baymen and lifesavers.

• Cultural Heritage: Beyond the landscape, the book focuses on the people. It features anecdotes about local legends, the fishing industry, and the tight-knit communities of towns like Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, and Ship Bottom.

• The Impact of Nature: Significant attention is paid to how the islanders coexisted with the elements, including the devastating impact of the 1944 Hurricane and the Great Atlantic Storm of 1962, which fundamentally reshaped the island’s geography and architecture.

Why It Matters

Buchholz, a long-time resident and former publisher of The SandPaper, writes with an authentic "insider" voice. The book isn't just a dry historical record; it is a sentimental tribute to the "Old LBI" that exists now only in memory and photographs. It remains a definitive resource for anyone looking to understand the cultural DNA of the Jersey Shore.