Southern California In The '50s: Sun, Fun And Fantasy Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
In the 1950s, Southern California was the place to be. The mood was up, prosperity ruled and the standard of living was flying high. It was the land of plenty for a new generation who reinvented the way we lived. With colorful memorabilia and vintage photos, Southern California in the '50s: Sun, Fun and Fantasy showcases this space-age promised land and the society that jump-started a cultural explosion. Charles Phoenix leads a nostalgic tour of his homeland, providing an up-close view of the way Southern Californians lived, where they worked and how they played. Readers will cruise in hot rods to Bob's Big Boy, go to the drive-in for Cokes and a movie, enjoy pools, patios and barbecues, and pull into that first McDonald's. Southern California in the '50s covers the suburban spread of stylish tract homes, coffee shops, supermarkets, shopping centers and bowling alleys, the modern conveniences that replaced rural valley farms, dairy pastures and fragrant orange groves. Readers rub elbows with the elite in Hollywood, and enjoy novelty of themed restaurants, motels and roadside attractions, attend fairs, festivals and parades and tour Knott's Berry Farm, Santa's Village, Marineland, Pacific Ocean Park and Disneyland when all were brand new. Anyone who loves or lives the Southern California lifestyle must have Southern California in the '50s.
Paperback: 159 pages
Publisher: Angel City Press (August 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781883318994
ISBN-13: 978-1883318994
ASIN: 1883318998
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 0.5 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #604,943 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #58 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography & Video > Lifestyle & Events > Celebrations & Events #3107 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Pop Culture > General #3279 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography & Video > Equipment, Techniques & Reference
This book is, well, fun for anyone with a Los Angeles childhood, like me. However, for anyone who loves kitsch and Californiana, this book is well worth the price. Sun, Fun and Fantasy" takes an indulgent, loving look at a time and place that's largely been torn down and paved over. The author gets more than five stars from me for his accuracy--I couldn't find one error, based on my memory, my extensive reading about California, and yes, my picture postcard collection!My hope is that this author will produce follow-up volumes from the '60s and '70s.
Wow! If you've seen Charles Phoenix' slide shows, you know how dedicated he is to mid-century Southern California. He loves it, but he can also laugh at it. It's a perfect coffee table book, in fact it's on my coffee table right now. One-of-a-kind photos galore (many from discarded family slides found in thrift shops), along with fun, informative text. Buy this book. See his shows. Enjoy life!
Our library just added this book to their collection and I began reading it out of curiousity. It's fabulous - filled with great pictures and chock full of unique facts. Reading it made me feel like I stepped back in time. Great coffee table or gift book.
Charles Phoenix has obviously spent countless hours researching this book. The amazing photos and memorabilia gathered here are priceless and worthy of more than a mere cursory examination. Where else could you see this stuff? His text evokes memories of innocent times we'll never see again. I'm giving this book to co-workers, family, and friends as holiday gifts. I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't treasure this book - I want everything Charles Phoenix can dish out! More pleeeze!
A whimsical look back at the California that was way back in the 1950's well illustrated with iconic images from that innocent time, before Cali became so very overpopulated & priced out of reach of most working people. That's why I left Cali so long ago, too many people, too expensive, too dirty & too noisy.I miss the old california with it's white warm beaches that were free to visit, the museums, the free ways, the flowered hillsides that are now paved over with houses, the orange orchards that suffered the same dreary fate.Get this book and see what Cali used to look like in a odd way, it wasn't all high tech office buildings, McMansions, clogged freeways & out of reach recreation areas.
Received a notice that Charles Phoenix was going to be doing a lecture at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. I had no knowledge of Charles Phoenix so looked him up and came upon this GREAT book. I was born in Los Angeles in 1949 and lived there till 1969(and again in the 1980's). This book really helped me take a delightful walk down memory lane and reminded me of so many things from my childhood that I had forgotten about(Helms Bakery wagons, Van de Kamp Bakery, etc etc.) and so many other familiar sights. The photos are great and there is lots of information which I haven't read as yet. I'm so happy I decided to buy it.
I saw this book at a bookstore a few weeks ago. Today, I went back to buy it. This is a really cool book. Although this book is about the 50's, and I wasn't born until 1965, I remember visiting many of the places in this book that have since been torn down. I would recommend this book!
Excellent book on southern California's glorious era of the 1950's. Incredible collection of superb photographs along with history and descriptions for so many places & things which have become iconic California images. Having grown up there in the 1950's & 1960's, this book was a real treat. The SF Goodwill supplier provided excellent service, with an almost-new book. This is a great book that we will refer to many times; for our grandkids, it's an excellent source of information as they compare modern-California with these beautiful images of the not-so-distant past. Thanks!
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