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Lost Delaware
Lost Delaware aims to recapture the old memories, vanished places, and past pasttimes of the people of the First State. It documents the state's heritage from the lives of the region's First People to the more recent history of disappeared drugstores and auto plants-turned-Amazon warehouses. Through stories and photographs, it will bring to life demolished mansions, paved-over airfields, and hotels and hardware stores lost to fire.
176 pages, Paperback
First published March 4, 2024
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 17, 2024
"Lost Delaware" is an ambitious book that seeks to capture the vanished and largely forgotten history of the First State. Authors Rachel Kipp and Dan Shortridge provide a sweeping tour through centuries of Delaware's past, digging up fascinating stories about lost businesses, buildings, industries and communities.
The scope of the book is impressive, covering a remarkable diversity of topics, from canneries to POW camps, amusement parks to breweries, mansions to hospitals. The authors unearth little-known chapters of Delaware history, many that have relevance to current day issues and events.
The stories they tell paint a vivid picture of how the state's economic, cultural and physical landscape has dramatically shifted over the decades.
One of Lost Delaware's core strengths is its engaging storytelling. Kipp & Shortridge bring the past to life through compelling anecdotes, intriguing characters and evocative details. From eccentric millionaire Lammot du Pont founding a pro football team to the zany competitions of Punkin Chunkin, the colorful tales are consistently entertaining. The writing style is very accessible - conversational and easy to follow, while still being informative.
Lost Delaware also shines a light on important social and cultural issues, especially regarding race. Chapters on the whipping post, segregated beaches and pools, and schools for Black children provide powerful glimpses into Delaware's long struggles with racism and inequality that resonate to this day. While celebrating much of the state's heritage, the authors don't shy away from directly confronting its more shameful history.
Occasionally the book's encyclopedic approach results in some chapters feeling a bit list-like or disjointed as they jump between different topics and eras. A tighter thematic organization may have given it a more coherent flow at times. But overall, the short punchy chapters covering such a wide range of subjects makes it very engaging and easy to dip in and out of.
The book is liberally illustrated with historic B&W images, primarily from the Delaware Public Archives. They help to fully bring these lost pieces of the past to life.
"Lost Delaware" fills an important niche, uncovering histories that have been overlooked but deserve to be remembered and reckoned with. It makes for a highly informative and enjoyable read for anyone interested in Delaware or Mid-Atlantic history. Through their extensive research and lively prose, Kipp & Shortridge perform an admirable service in ensuring these stories of the state's lost landmarks and ways of life are found once again.
The scope of the book is impressive, covering a remarkable diversity of topics, from canneries to POW camps, amusement parks to breweries, mansions to hospitals. The authors unearth little-known chapters of Delaware history, many that have relevance to current day issues and events.
The stories they tell paint a vivid picture of how the state's economic, cultural and physical landscape has dramatically shifted over the decades.
One of Lost Delaware's core strengths is its engaging storytelling. Kipp & Shortridge bring the past to life through compelling anecdotes, intriguing characters and evocative details. From eccentric millionaire Lammot du Pont founding a pro football team to the zany competitions of Punkin Chunkin, the colorful tales are consistently entertaining. The writing style is very accessible - conversational and easy to follow, while still being informative.
Lost Delaware also shines a light on important social and cultural issues, especially regarding race. Chapters on the whipping post, segregated beaches and pools, and schools for Black children provide powerful glimpses into Delaware's long struggles with racism and inequality that resonate to this day. While celebrating much of the state's heritage, the authors don't shy away from directly confronting its more shameful history.
Occasionally the book's encyclopedic approach results in some chapters feeling a bit list-like or disjointed as they jump between different topics and eras. A tighter thematic organization may have given it a more coherent flow at times. But overall, the short punchy chapters covering such a wide range of subjects makes it very engaging and easy to dip in and out of.
The book is liberally illustrated with historic B&W images, primarily from the Delaware Public Archives. They help to fully bring these lost pieces of the past to life.
"Lost Delaware" fills an important niche, uncovering histories that have been overlooked but deserve to be remembered and reckoned with. It makes for a highly informative and enjoyable read for anyone interested in Delaware or Mid-Atlantic history. Through their extensive research and lively prose, Kipp & Shortridge perform an admirable service in ensuring these stories of the state's lost landmarks and ways of life are found once again.
November 21, 2024
EXTREMELY dry writing. Of interest only to longtime Delawareans.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews