Books and Travel Guides

Enchanted Isle—A History of Plein Air Painting in Santa Catalina Island is liberally illustrated with paintings by Signature Members of The Plein-Air Painters of America and their numerous Guest Artists. The 256-page volume with 255 color illustrations and many full-page plates trace over 100 years of painting the outdoor beauty of Santa Catalina Island. The works of over 90 early and contemporary plein air painters depict delightful street scenes, distinctive architecture, charming harbors and plenty of wild, rugged coastline. Color and light reign supreme. Major essays by noted authors enhance the illustrations along with a bibliography and index.

Throughout its history, the 76-square-mile island of Catalina has played host to Native Americans, smugglers, otter hunters, ranchers, miners, entrepreneurs, vacationers, movie stars, and nature enthusiasts. William Wrigley Jr. (of chewing-gum fame) bought the island in 1919 and later constructed the recognizable casino building, which was never used for gambling but did become one of the best-known ballrooms in America. In the 1970s, the Wrigley family deeded 88 percent of the island to the Catalina Island Conservancy, which protects the natural state of the island and her inhabitants. Today nearly one million tourists visit annually to take in the fishing, parasailing, glass-bottomed tour boating, scuba diving, cycling, camping, galleries, shopping, and dining.

In the preface the authors write:
"We have approached the writing of this history primarily a a blending of episodes from the lives of the builders, residents, and visitors of Avalon. It is an anecdotal history rather than a scholarly literary publication; a story of people as well as dates, facts and figures. The book grew out of Bill White's in-depth research over many years, his boyhood memories of his beloved Avalon, his diaries, and a treasure trove of classic photographs. "

In the books introduction the author explains his rationale for writing the book:
"...to accurately record events that took place on the Island during wartime photographically and by word description. This was accomplished by historical research and interviews with current residents of Santa Catalina Island and United Stated military personnel who were trained or had duty stations on the Island during World War II. You will find threaded trough this book the interviews and testimonials of people who were actually at the Island during the years 1941-1945."

Mini Coffee Table Book
Paperback
Pages: 44 pages, numerous historical photos

This is the third in a series of engrossing books about Catalina Island. The book was authorized by the Wrigley family and includes a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the Wrigley family and their history with Catalina Island. Personal photographs, stories and memories from the family fill the pages.

Nowhere else can you find the pleasures of beach community living as delicately balanced with remarkably unspoiled wilderness. In this book, Catalina appears as did all of California before modern civilization covered the land.

A fancy flight of lyrics specifies that Santa Catalina Island is "26 miles across the sea." But mapmakers put the distance at 19.7 miles from the closest island point, Doctor’s Cove (near Arrow Point), to the closest mainland locale, Point Fermin at San Pedro. Today boats and helicopters operating out of the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Newport Beach, and Dana Point transport musing songwriters and everyone else to Catalina for the song’s much-promised “romance, romance, romance, romance,” as well as fishing, sightseeing, and gainful employment. But the history of getting to and from the island’s ports of Avalon and Two Harbors has been an epic across centuries of business and pleasure, involving a collective flotilla of side-wheelers, yachts, lumber schooners, steamships, water taxis, converted military vessels, crew boats, and today’s fast and convenient jet boats.

Santa Catalina Island, one of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California, is home to 39 species of resident birds and more than 279 species of birds have been recorded on the island. Whether you want to catch a glimpse of the majestic Bald Eagle or hear the melodic song of Western Meadowlarks, Catalina Island is a popular destination for birders of all ages. (from back cover)

Santa Catalina Island, one of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California, has a rich and diverse fauna. From tiny insects to majestic whales, the island offers a treasure trove of discovery for wildlife enthusiasts. Catalina's unique mixture of habitats supports a number of endemic species, those found on Catalina Island and nowhere else on the Earth. (from back cover)

Boat, Dive & Fish Catalina Island is Catalina Island boater's, diver's and fisherman's most complete guide. It contains detailed information on coves, moorings, anchorages, sites and much more.

Touted as the "Two Million Dollar Palace of Pleasure" when it was opened in 1929, the Casino continues to awe hundreds of thousands of visitors each year with its unique blending of Moorish and Art Decco architecture. Who knows how many millions of feet have danced in its ballroom or how many have sat in the theatre underneath its gently twinkling lights? The Casino is truly Catalina's landmark building. Find a comfortable easy chair, turn on your favorite Big Band music and let the author Patricia Anne Moore take you on a historic tour of the Casino, Catalina Island's "Two Million Dollar Palace of Pleasure." (From the back cover)

Throughout the years, the 76-square-mile island of Santa Catalina has hosted Native-American tribes, European sailors, American tourists, and even the Chicago Cubs. The island has survived both ecologically and culturally, resisting the temptation of becoming a Coney Island of Los Angeles. Through the work of its residents along with chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr., Santa Catalina Island is as beautiful today as it was when it was discovered in 1542.

Catalina Clay Products, Avalonware, Catalinaware, Catalina Tile, Catalina Pottery...all essentially refer to the same thing: beautiful, functional, colorful ceramic wares products on Santa Catalina Island from approximatley 1927 through 1937. The pottery was very popular in its day and achieved a national distribution and reputation. In the decades that followed tastes changed and Catalina Pottery (along with many others) was largely taken for granted. But by the 1990's the pendulum swung back and today, Catalina Pottery is a highly prized and valuable collectable. (From the cover)

The Cubs on Catalina (Sample from the inside cover) - A scrapbookful of memories about a 30-year love affair between one of baseball's classic teams and California's most fanciful Isle.
Ah baseball. The green grass, the crack of the bat, the gentle breeze.
Mmm, islands. The swaying palms, the splash of surf...the gentle breeze.
Two of the best inventions on earth. Trouble is, they just don't generally go together. Unless...

The author and illustrator writes in the preface:
"I awoke in the middle of the night having a vivid dream of pixies, fairies and unicorns in a kingdom called Avalon. This kingdon and all who live there we know, exists purely in the fantasy recesses of our minds. This dream was so vivid to me, that I set it down on paper the next day, and then later I changed the story to verse."

The breathtaking ceramic artwares, tablewares, and tiles produced by the prolific Catalina Clay Products Company of Santa Catalina Island, California, from 1927 to 1936 are presented in over 550 color photographs and an eloquent text. Influenced in part by the Spanish Revival Movement and Depression-era Art Deco motifs, this book displays the artistry imbued in these pieces, ranging from teapots, patio pottery, and souvenirs to pictorial murals, hand painted plates, and tile tables. A history of the company, its wares and artisans, bibliography, and index are also provided. Values are included in the captions.

For centuries handcrafted tile has been a predominant decorative surface in tropical climes from Middle East through the Gulf of Mexico to California. California tile makers excelled in their craft during the first half of the twentieth century, producing richly patterned designs for building facades, interiors, garden ornamentation, furniture, and even serving pieces. "Old California" art tile is rich in tradition and innovation.

The early terra cotta, garden wares, tiles, Franciscan line, and Catalina artware produced by the prolific Gladding, McBean and Company from the late 1800s to 1942 are covered and beautifully displayed in this fascinating book. The Franciscan pottery table and artware line, so named to honor the Franciscan Friars who established Spanish Missions in California, was one of the most successful product lines produced by California's Gladding, McBean and Company. Among the dishes displayed here are their most popular patterns, including El Patio, Coronado, Metropolitan, Apple, and Desert Rose.