While long-term bluff retreat rates derived from historical air photos provide important information to both researchers and policymakers, several limitations arise when analyzing air photos in isolation. First, in most areas, the air photo record does not cover periods before 1930, meaning that the period of mass deforestation and port construction following European settlement is not captured. Second, the air photo record is intermittent and irregular, making it difficult to determine when and under what conditions bluff retreat occurred. Finally, the air photo record does not provide insights into event-level processes responsible for bluff retreat. Fortunately, several other types of archival records can be used in tandem with air photos to address these limitations. Topographic maps and town plans provide a record of shoreline change for the period immediately following, and in some cases, before, European settlement. Photographs, postcards, and even paintings can help narrow down the timing of episodes of bluff retreat and may also provide dates for port construction or other key events. Finally, newspaper articles often provide eyewitness accounts of bluff retreat at the event scale, helping us better understand magnitude and process. While air photos typically provide the most precise means of mapping past shoreline positions and calculating long-term average retreat rates, incorporating historical maps, images, and newspaper articles into shoreline studies allows for the creation of more complete and accurate histories of coastal change.