New Book About Wildwood Motels
We’re excited to announce the release of a new book titled Motels of Wildwood; Postwar to Present. The book tells the story of the incredible concentration of mid-century modern motels of Wildwood, New Jersey, from their origin in the Doo Wop decade of Elvis Presley to their whereabouts today. Not many people know that it was local contractors, not architects, who created this trove of asymmetrical, neon-encrusted motels with swooping rooflines and pink pylons, meant to attract vacationing families. This book chronicles their architectural significance and preserves memories of what many of these cheerful, flamboyant buildings looked like before they were demolished by developers, depriving motel neighborhoods of the chance to become landmarked historic districts. In addition to over 200 photos, many never before published, maps pinpoint the location of the motels, some long gone and others stops on today's architecture tours.
The book was written by Jackson Betz who is a longtime aficionado of the mid-century modern architecture of the Wildwoods, studied the Wildwoods as an architecture student at the University of Pennsylvania, and is also a member of our organization.
You can purchase the book directly from the publisher here:
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