What does one do with a lifetime collection of rare Ocean Point images and ephemera? Why, compose and publish a book, of course. That's exactly what lifelong Ocean Pointer Susan Kimball Clark did.

Growing up in a classic Maine turn of the century cottage at Grimes Cove, Sue Clark later watched her own children frolic and explore the same rocky playground she did. With time she saw the scenery was changing. Not just the trees on Green Island, or the number of boats moored in the cove, or long gone dories with cork strung herring nets, or wooden lobster traps and wooden buoys, or the wooden mooring poles, or the automation of lighthouses replacing its keepers, but cottages and landmarks as well.

Throughout the years, Clark painstakingly collected and catalogued images, researched stories, pored through century old newspaper articles, and studied maps. She spent time in the Boothbay Region Historical Society, communicated with the Penobscot Marine Museum, and welcomed the images shared from private collections. If it had to do with Ocean Point, she wanted to connect to it.

Each image collected, usually in penny postcard form, was enlarged to an 8" x 11" page and placed in a clear archival sleeve. The fascinating detail that emerged, such as horses and wagons, motor cars, bicycles parked on the rocks, fashion, people, travel, daily life, cottage names, and architectural details intrigued her. Penny postcards were the "social media of the past." The correspondence side reflected brief news and greetings, while the image side captured a still life moment or snapshot of history. Her passion for collecting the images was refueled every time she discovered another image. With well over 250 images, the time came to turn this collection gone wild into a historic accounting to be shared.

The publication of "Past Images of Ocean Point, Maine" is a comprehensive collection of 280 early historic Ocean Point images spread over 150 color gloss 8.5" x 11" perfect bound pages. The page by page format follows the road, in order, around the Point starting at the corner of Van Horn and Shore Road where the Ocean Point Wharf welcomed early cottagers traveling by steamship. The images continue by numbered address along Shore Road, past the Ocean Point Inn, past Three Trees, past the Chapel, past Grimes Cove, and out to the tide pool and Cunner Rock. Interior Ocean Point images are in order by street and area including the Casino and General Store, ending out to sea with Ram, Fisherman, and Burnt islands. Notated at the foot of numerous pages are samplings of actual quotes taken directly from the correspondence on the reverse of the postcard.

A copy of "Past Images of Ocean Point, Maine" is currently on display at the Boothbay Region Historical Society. Copies are $50 and are available locally at the East Boothbay General Store and the Ocean Point Inn, or direct from Sue Clark at Latitude43Designs@hotmail.com or (207) 998-9169.