Around Phoenixville

Title: New book takes a look at Phoenixville's past

Author: Amy Strauss

Publisher: The Phoenix

Date: 10/24/09



On Monday, Oct. 24, Chester County native Vincent Martino Jr. will release his fifth book, Around Phoenixville, honoring the town that has successfully regenerated through a multifaceted industrious past into a flourishing commercial real estate hub.



Around Phoenixville, a book compilation featuring over 200 antique postcards that span over a century's time, details numerous historic locations throughout the area, which include the first construction of the Gay Street Bridge, the Daily Republican, the West End Fire Company and the Phoenix Iron Company.



The aged postcard collection, Martino's personal on-going hobby, began in his childhood years when his mother selected a few memorial squares from a Main Street antique shop for her son. The craft of collecting vintage cards and photographs of the Chester County area has since been maintained by the author who continuously combs through flea markets, antique shops and regularly, eBay.



At first, Martino luckily found 10-20 cards a year. However, at this stage of his hobby, he is lucky to find one annually, he said. "It is a daily procedure of mine, like drinking a cup of coffee or reading the newspaper, to check online regularly." With cards costing varying prices, from pocket change to hundreds of dollars, the author and collector believes his accumulation is a way to "keep others' stories going."



With the assistance of Arcadia Publishing, he had previously brought part of his collection to life through his various books, which included the localized releases of 2002's Phoenixville, 2005's Phoenixville: Then & Now, 2006's Northern Chester County, and 2007's The Wildwoods, 1920-1970.



Since the publisher offers an intimate experience through their process of book publishing, Martino was always able to solely scan all of his photos and postcards, not having to not part with his collection at any time. He also researched and scribed each image's historical description within each book's pages.



As a graduate of Phoenixville High School in 1994, Cabrini College in 1998 and St. Joseph's University in 2000, Martino has always possessed a profound love for the Phoenixville area and has yet to stray far from home. He and his family, owners of the past Martino's Deli and Catering located on the 300 block, have "watched the town die" and then, unfold into a complete reversal. "There has been so much change and progress that I have even included the last 10-20 years within [Around Phoenixville]," he said.



In addition to recent change in Phoenixville, the newly released book will also feature the Byrne Knitting Mill, the explanation of the growth of the town through the influx of European immigrants, and many examples of cultural institutions like the Knights of Columbus, the St. Anna Club and the Holy Trinity Church.



In liking to "help keep the memories alive," the author believes his latest book is his way of sharing history with other people. "Demographics in the area have changed and the stories of the people would be lost forever. I believe these books are a way to present history unusually with a vantage point."



Around Phoenixville is available in area bookstores, independent retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com.