About My Research Efforts …
For My Readers …
As I continue to develop my website — lately though the addition of many local photos — I’ve reached beyond Monmouth Beach. Not too far though.
To close neighbors — Sea Bright to the north and Long Branch to the south. Border buddies, shore siblings, and contiguous cousins. Three historic beach towns bound together. Now and forever. As to the history of this fine strip of beachfront we call home — the more you know, the more you want to know.
Seeing an interesting old local photograph/image is one thing — getting its details is quite another. During my deep dives for more recorded historic facts (names, dates and places) I continue to use Newspapers.com — a terrific online resource.
I’ve found plenty of plausible news and info amidst the archived pages of the Asbury Park Press, Long Branch Daily Record, and Red Bank Daily Register (and to a lesser degree the New York Times and Brooklyn Daily Eagle). All mostly well preserved in digital form (old news print photos can be tricky though). Recorded details on local events and people going back some 350 years in total. The APP, started in 1879, continues to publish daily. The LBDR circulated from 1883 to 1975. The RBDR printed from 1878 to 1991.
“To understand today, you must search yesterday.”
—Pearl Buck
As a seasoned journalist I realize that newspapers are imperfect. At their best, they provide a “first rough draft of history.” Still, sometimes when I find a fact after much digging and it all jells, I’m in awe of the reach of journalism.
In my own fact gathering, however, I sometimes find conflicting information in all the local publications back then. In the typical news biz pitfall, the misspelled name, of course. But also, plenty of differing reports and with numbers generally. So, to offer a more complete description of the pictures found and posted, I’ve done some supposing of my own. Even as I keep digging for more facts.
In closing, I ask my readers to help me keep things honest. If you see something you know to be untrue or inaccurate, please, reach out. I’m never above making a change when presented with the better facts. Indeed, I welcome the interaction.
Monmouth Beach Life Photo Collection — HERE
My thanks to all for visiting,
Greg Kelly
Publisher
MonmouthBeachLife.com
E-mail
About the Photos:
The journalist’s creed is to answer: Who? What? Where? When? and Why? Connecting photo-and-fact helps answer many of those questions. The research is mine — for certain. Regarding the photos, in a constantly evolving digital commutations world with few rules and even fewer principles, I have adopted some personal standards and polices as it pertains to their “Fair Use.”
• My website is purely educational/non-profit. Access to all content is free and I’ve profited nothing from the work.
• My website is “transformative” — a completely new and unique presentation of content and images.
• I merely tracked down and posted all these digital images; I claim no ownership of any.
• Everything published in the USA before 1928 is in the public domain.
• Most images come from social media — it’s today’s “public square” with no expectation of privacy. When I find a compelling Internet image, I’ll re-post it.
• There’s no value loss; original image is undamaged and still marketable.
• Most digital photos are copies, of copies, of copies, of copies … almost nothing is original.
• All that said, upon reasonable request I will remove or credit a photo. Contact HERE.
