1930s Santa Catalina Island, California Real Photo Postcard – Overlooking Avalon Bay and S. S. Catalina Excursion Ship – New Casino and Sugarloaf Point

Catalina Island began to be developed as a vacation destination in 1887. The Santa Catalina Island Company was formed in 1891 which owned most of the island. In 1919, William Wrigley, Jr., purchased controlling interest in the company, and built a large home there.

In 1925, Wrigley constructed the Chimes Tower (hidden by a tree) on a cliff overlooking the Bay and the site of the Casino. In 1928, Wrigley built the new Casino, a twelve-story circular Art Deco structure, the largest of its kind in the world, on Sugarloaf Point in Avalon. The lower level of the Casino houses the mammoth Avalon Theater. The upper level houses the world's largest circular ballroom with a 180-foot (55 m) diameter dance floor, and where the balcony views are spectacular. Bird Park was constructed about the same time, using the steel structure of the Sugarloaf dance pavilion, which had been torn down make room for the fabulous Casino (literally a "place of entertainment" in Italian). From the 1930s to the 1950s, Catalina was the training camp for Wrigley's Chicago Cubs baseball team.

After William Wrigley's death in 1932, his son Phillip (P. K.) Wrigley succeeded to his father's interests on Santa Catalina. In 1975, P. K. Wrigley deeded the Wrigley shares in the Santa Catalina Island Company to the Catalina Island Conservancy, who now administers the bulk of the island.

Chloride print (sepia-toned) glossy real photo postcards, and collected unused by a Connecticut couple on an extended touring vacation through the West in 1937 – and only recently removed from their vacation memory album where it has been for over 70 years.

There is no publisher or photographer's imprint, but there is a copyright mark in the lower right border. This postcard has an AZO stamp box imprint, and was published sometime between 1925 and 1937. However, postcards with white borders surrounding the image usually were published prior to 1931.

The image is a glossy, quality photo. Over time, there has been some slight fading along the borders, which is less noticeable in person than in these photos. This is a natural aging process for many glossy chloride print real photos. Otherwise, the card is in great condition, with no tears or folds. Some light soiling and wear around the edges from handling, but the images are not involved. Corners are only slightly blunted.

Item ID: 29-0439FF-11