Lombardi completes lifelong dream

By Thomas Clapper

CCM Reporter

For local historian, history enthusiast and now published author, Jason Lombardi, preserving Malvern history and heritage has been a passion since childhood.

Lombardi is currently the president and is the co-creator of the Malvern Historic Society, whom he co-created with dear friend and fellow lover of Malvern history, the late Frances Montella. His book “Images of America Around Malvern” by Arcadia Publishing is available online at most major book websites now. It is a pictorial history of Malvern. 

“The idea of creating a book started way before the historical society,” said Lombardi. “It was a dream of mine when I started collecting Malvern history when I was a kid.”

As a teenager in Malvern, Lombardi was a caretaker of the Hardesty Family Cemetery which led to his interest in all of Malvern. One notable event from that time was when local reporter, the late Todd Reed wrote a story about him when he was around 14 years old and preserving Malvern history. 

“I knew writing a book would be a lot of work and I kept putting it off because I was still finding new information and photos and figured that would be for the book, too,” said Lombardi. “I wanted it as complete and accurate as possible with new stuff people have never seen before.”

Lombardi really got serious again about writing a book four years ago, then life happened, and it got put away in a tote for two more years. After those two years he decided it needed to be done and contacted Arcadia Publishing because he was familiar with their books and he wanted Malvern to be a part of their collection.

“My initial contact with Arcadia Publishing led to a dead end,” said Lombardi. “Six weeks went by and then they wanted a proposal for them to review the subject and see if they wanted to accept. I had to sell to them a village of 1,000 people that they needed to invest to get the book made.”

Lombardi admitted it was a difficult proposal to write because he had to frame it to them what was important to the village that would make it appealing. He decided to tie in the importance of Malvern clay industry, famous figures like Theodore Vale, Clyde Singer, William McKinley and things that could connect Malvern to  the outer world.

 “It was challenging because everything in this community is important to me, but I had to frame it in the eyes of an outsider,” said Lombardi. “And it worked. I had to send in samples of my writing and then the proposal was accepted, but it still had to go to the final committee. It got the final approval, and I was given an editor to send my work to.”

Unbeknownst to Lombardi, he was given strict guidelines including a page number amount, photo limit and caption limit. He had photos on several devises and in several locations, he needed to collect and sift through. After his first sift through he had a little over 600 photos selected. The end result of the book had approximately 250 photos. 

“This is 30 years of collecting and I have amassed a lot,” said Lombardi. “I had to keep narrowing photos down. I had to keep in mind the subjects of the book, for example, there could not be 100 clay plant pictures.”

Every picture had to be submitted to Arcadia Publishing. Approximately 40 were sent back and he could not use them. He explained scans must be actual photos with total clarity. It cannot be a picture of a picture. Each caption below the photo is limited in word count. His original captions were 400 words, and he had a limit of 50 words.

“For this book to come together was an amazing accomplishment,” said Lombardi. “If you follow their rules and guidelines, it goes along well. I did strive for ultimate accuracy and rechecked, dates, spellings and addresses

“I reedited this book completely, five times. I had an editor, but they don’t know the local details, so I had to keep editing it and research precisely every time.”

Lombardi said one of the hardest parts of the whole project was keeping it a secret from everybody.

“I kept this secret from everybody with the exception of five people for months,” said Lombardi.  “I like the surprise effect, and I wanted it to be a huge surprise to the community. Members of the historical society didn’t even know I was doing it and that was hard for me to keep it quiet.”

He said by stipulations of the publisher, he was not allowed to announce the book to the public or post on social media until the editor said so.

“Not every place or family is represented,” said Lombardi. “I could only put in what is able to be fit within their strict parameters. That was a challenge, I had a lot of material and everybody’s family that has played a part in Malvern is an important part of history.”

Another important factor to Lombardi was he wanted to make sure a lot of things included in the book didn’t get lost to time. There may be one known article or photo in his possession of a place, and he wanted to make sure it was represented. Most of the photos are from Lombardi’s personal collection unless otherwise noted and cited in the book. 

The process of beginning the book with the strongest start happened around November of 2023. It was in December when he got the email stating the book was a go. 

“When I got word the book was going to happen, I felt a sense of excitement with panic because I committed to a deadline at that point,” said Lombardi. “In my mind I felt I prepared enough at that point. I had the majority of what I thought was done, but what I realized was it almost had to be completely redone.”

Lombardi says he gave himself a three-month deadline which was admittedly too short. Even his contact at the publisher said it was a quick deadline, but he insisted he could do it.

“It was a mistake on my part because I thought most was done, but it was not,” said Lombardi.

The three-month deadline was given before he had to condense the captions and narrow down photos. Lombardi has a day job, so he spent all day every weekend working on the book until the deadline. 

It was very time consuming, but he said every time he would start to get tired, he would remind himself, “I am writing the story of a place, it is my responsibility, I committed,” which became his mantra. 

It took him back to reality and what was important. He also gave thanks to close friend Tyler Moody, who helped keep him motivated to continue pushing through during the hard times.

“Choosing the cover was challenging because it is the first thing people will see,” said Lombardi. “I had to submit 10 photos of the clearest I had. The publisher made the ultimate choice, but I think with our connection to the clay industry it was the perfect fit. I am very pleased with the cover.”

“I already had people asking me if I am going to do a second book, but right now my mind is spent,” said Lombardi. “I loved every minute of it, but it is very exhausting. It is still so unbelievable to see it in physical form and be able to hold it and look at it. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat without any reservations.”

Lombardi said Arcadia Publishing is in control of the book signings. The only place to buy the book currently is online. Stores like Amazon, Books-a-Million, Barnes and Noble and Target are known to have copies available as well as the Arcadia Publishing website (www.arcadiapublishing.com). 

He does not have a stash of books  he can sell to people and any book signings have to be set up by Arcadia Publishing. Stay tuned to Malvern Historical Society Facebook page for information as it becomes available on book signings.

“I did not do this to make money, I needed it to be in the hands of the public because you don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring,” said Lombardi. “I would love to see this in classrooms at our school and would love to see younger people get their hands on this and develop their interest to takeover someday. I am very proud of the book and when I got the complimentary copies it was an extremely emotional moment to see it in physical format. Nothing can compare to that moment.”

Decades ago, Lombardi knew the way he wanted to end his introduction to the book. As a teen he would read the Hardesty’s Historical Atlas of Carroll County from 1874 and author Hiram Hardesty had prophetic words for the young Lombardi. 

Hiram Hardesty was born in Malvern and wrote of the value of Malvern soil and its hidden mineral wealth 14 years before clay was discovered in Malvern. 

Lombardi was always drawn to one quote from the book his entire life which Hardesty wrote: “Hence, we may look forward without misgiving to a future more brighter and more prosperous than even the past has been; and he who shall be called upon to write the succeeding pages of this history may be congratulated in advance upon the rich material for study which is to be placed in his hands.”

“I have always read this quote and it felt like Hardesty was talking directly to me,” said Lombardi who went on to fulfill this role.