Identifier	clloy_144
Title	The Casino, Catalina Island, California
Creator	Unknown
Date Published	1935
Subject (Topic)	Ballrooms--California--Santa Catalina Island; Motion picture theaters--California--Santa Catalina Island;
Subject (Name)	Catalina Casino (Santa Catalina Island, Calif.);
Subject (Place)	Santa Catalina Island (Calif.);
Type	image
Form/Genre	Postcards
Physical Description	1 postcard : Color ; 9 x 14 cm.
Institution	Department of Archives and Special Collections, William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University
Country of Creation	US
Copyright Status	public domain
Copyright Statement	http://library.lmu.edu/collections/digitallibraryprogram/copyrightandreproductionpolicy/
Publisher	Western Publishing & Novelty Co.
Place of Publication	Los Angeles, Calif.
Language	eng
Description	A nighttime view of the Casino on Santa Catalina Island. The structure is brightly lit, with the lights reflecting on the water below.
Historical Background	Santa Catalina Island is located approximately 26 miles off the coast of Southern California, near Long Beach. In 1887, entrepreneur George Shatto purchased the Island with the intention of turning it into a major tourist destination. He began the settlement of Avalon Bay, built the first pier and hotel, and organized regular boat service to the island, but amassed debts and sold the property in 1892 to Joseph and Hancock Banning. The Banning brothers continued to develop the area, adding an aquarium, incline railway, amphitheater, and glass bottom boat tours to the island's natural attractions, until a devastating fire swept through Avalon in 1915, destroying much of their real estate. In 1919, William Wrigley participated in a group investment purchase of Catalina, but grew to love the island and soon bought out his other partners. He and his son Philip continued to develop the island, and in the mid-1970s created the Catalina Island Conservancy, which was given 88% of the island to protect native species and prevent over-development. The Casino, which acts as a gathering place rather than as a gambling facility, was built in 1928-9 under the direction of William Wrigley. It replaced the smaller Sugarloaf Casino, built eight years earlier, and contained a large circular ballroom over a grand movie theater. Sugarloaf Rock at the end of the point was blasted away in March, 1929, to enhance the view of the new Casino building.
Additional Printed Matter	On back: "Like a brilliant jewel set in the onyx of the night is the beautiful Catalina Island Casino, the gorgeous two million dollar 'Palace of Pleasure'. It is located midway between the St. Catherine Hotel and the little town of Avalon. It contains a mammoth motion picture theatre, above which is the largest circular ballroom in the world."
Publisher's Identifier	Publisher's serial number: 5A-H866; Series number: C-26;
Additional Notes	Date from publisher's serial number; Printed on linen textured paper.
Source	Werner von Boltenstern Postcard Collection