The Winter 1950 edition of Pictorial California and the Pacific featured a number of my favorite places. Marking the 25th anniversary of the publication’s start, the founder was Eugene Swarzwald, who simply wanted to “publicize California and the Pacific, to show the loveliness, the dynamic beauty, the grandeur, and the lure of the West.” The ads at the back of the publication are just as interesting as the gorgeous photography featured on sepia-toned pages.
It is fitting that the foreword is plastered over a picture of palm trees, orange groves, and cloud-covered mountains.
The first areas featured are those I have yet to visit. The top picture shows “historic Gardella, where the California State Highway 49 crosses the Mokelumne River.” The bottom image shows “the dusty main street of Volcano.” Volcano is home to many firsts: theater group in CA (1854), private school in CA (1855), first private law school in CA (1855), and first legal hanging in Amador County (1856)!
As a kid, I visited Columbia State Park many times with my California cousins. I loved the old western town with its vintage touristy shops and a stagecoach ride that was “held-up” on each trip. My brothers got a kick out of heckling the stagecoach robber!
A genuine FauxD© 1970s shot of the Columbia State Park Wells Fargo Express coach:
Next up is a two-page spread featuring Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco:
The Wharf area when I visited in 2002:
The photography in this publication is stunning, even without being in full color. Below is a shot of Jenner Beach in Sonoma County, about 90 minutes north of San Francisco:
Storm clouds over Joshua National Forest, named after the Joshua trees that populate the area:
Still beautiful…
Below is the reason I picked up this magazine - a shot of Sunset Boulevard featuring (but not naming) the Chateau Marmont hotel and the Garden of Allah:
Chateau at left, the Garden of Allah across the street:
In August 2015, I captured some similar views:
The Garden of Allah was paved over for a bank and a strip mall, and now even those are gone.
More scenic sepia California views to come!
See more vintage and contemporary photos from my collection at my main website.
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