Atlantic City Then & Now

A photographic history of Atlantic City, New Jersey, chronicles the city's early days as a premier seaside resort, its decline through the mid-twentieth century, and its twenty-first-century incarnation as an entertainment and gambling mecca, examining such landmarks as its famed boardwalk, its role as the birthplace of the Monopoly game and the Miss America pageant, and more.

Welcome to Atlantic City, New Jersey, the birthplace of many pop culture phenomena, including Monopoly, the Miss America Pageant, salt-water taffy and The Donald (Trump, that is). Discover the extraordinary history of this glamorous resort town in Atlantic City Then & Now, a new title in the top-selling Then & Now Series.* Fascinating then-and-now photographs highlight Atlantic City's evolution-from its early days as a get-away for Philadelphians, through its decline in the mid-20th century, to its 21st century incarnation as a gambling and entertainment mecca.* Stroll along the city's famous Boardwalk! First built in 1870 to keep sand off hotel carpets, the Boardwalk has witnessed tremendous changes.* Check in to some of the Eastern Seaboard's most extravagant turn-of-the-century hotels like the Traymore, the Marlborough-Blenheim, and the Shelburne.* See how Donald Trump turned swampland into gold, with photographs of the once impoverished Inlet area that now boasts high-end resorts.* Take a spin on the world's first Ferris wheel, at Missouri and Mississippi Avenues, now the site of the Trump Taj Mahal casino.* Glimpse icons of the past, like Boardwalk Hall, home of the Miss America Pageant and the Chesterfield sign at Steeplechase Pier, once the world's largest electric sign with 27,000 light bulbs.