Back in November of 2018, I received an email from a gentlemen named Robert M. Craig regarding a book project that he was working on. He described it as a short illustrated history of the Ocean City Beach Patrol (OCBP). Mr. Craig had come across my website and found my Ocean City blog, “I Still Love Ocean City Maryland”. In his short email he explained to me that he is the son of the OCBP’s patriarch, Captain Robert S. Craig (deceased) and that he had been tasked with the preparation of their history. Mr Craig went on to ask me if I would be willing contribute one or more photographs to the project.

Wow….!

My family and some of my best friends know that I just love Ocean City (hence the blog title). I’ve been going there since I was very young and I try and get there at least once if not twice a year. This is a great opportunity to for me to be share in just a tiny bit of the history of Ocean City, Maryland (OCMD). I replied immediately, YES!

Over the next several weeks we traded emails back and forth. I sent Mr. Craig several photographs. I have most of my photo collection key-worded in Lightroom so it was pretty easy to find relevant images. Too easy in fact. I mistakenly sent him an image from the beach in Nags Head, NC. Luckily for the both of us he was able to discover this and point out that it couldn’t be from Ocean City. It had a bridge in the back ground that doesn’t exist in Maryland. Whew…!

Publishing….?

Some time had passed and I hadn’t heard anything so in April of 2019, I wrote Mr. Craig and asked him how the book project was going. He wrote back and advised me that the manuscript had been sent to the publisher, Arcadia, last month. He was awaiting their assessment photo quality throughout to see if any substitutions were needed. Mr. Craig went on to say:

We are targeting the book to be out in August.  Thanks for your help–several Crowley images are included.  

Very exciting…!

Later in August, I received another email from Mr. Craig, the book was published and available for sale! It is titled “Images of America, Maryland’s Ocean City Beach Patrol” by Robert M. Craig.

As it turns out, I have two photographs in the book. One on page 103 and another on page 134. I just love “my” tiny bit of OCMD history.

If anyone is interested in purchasing a copy, to see these images, just email me back and I will make arrangements to get autographed copies to you as soon as possible.