{"title":"Hollywood","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"crescenta-valley-history-hidden-in-plain-sight","title":"Crescenta Valley History: Hidden In Plain Sight","description":"The Crescenta Valley is a typical suburb of the metropolis of Los Angeles, containing residential neighborhoods nestled in chaparral-covered hills. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut hidden in these typical neighborhoods are remnants of an atypical past, a past made up of Hollywood legends, Prohibition-era bootleggers, and pioneers in women's rights. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCrescenta Valley History: Hidden in Plain Sight\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e tells the stories behind six places in the community that residents pass by every day, with no idea of the amazing events that took place there—six innocuous locations with impressive histories. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA little shack behind an apartment that was once the home of John Steinbeck; the overgrown ruins of a former speakeasy; an abandoned sanitarium that once housed aging Hollywood stars, and now houses their ghosts; a mystical religious sanctuary run entirely by women; a former resort and Olympic training site buried deep under a suburban shopping mall; and a park created by professional baseball players and movie stars. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll these sites are right here in your neighborhood! You'll never look at the Crescenta Valley the same way again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/mike-lawler\"\u003eMike Lawler\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":21234749177938,"sku":"9781634990318","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634990318.jpg?v=1546449894"},{"product_id":"santa-monica-a-look-back-to-1902-from-today","title":"Santa Monica: A Look Back to 1902 from Today","description":"Over one hundred years ago, volunteer firemen sold a book, titled Santa Monica Fire Department, Souvenir Book of Santa Monica, 1902, door to door. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLegend has it that the newly-established fire department promised to fight fires for those who purchased the book, but made no such promise to those who didn't. These 110 photos are from that book. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe author discovered the book years ago in the house he grew up in, which had been owned by Santa Monica Mayor Edmond S. Gillette in the 1930s. The 1902 book contained 110 interior and exterior photographs of houses and businesses in what we know today as western Santa Monica, and a few images from other locations around Los Angeles. When he picked it up again, creating a comparison book seemed like a natural idea.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/michael-murphy\"\u003eMichael Murphy\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":21235344998482,"sku":"9781634990509","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634990509.jpg?v=1546459316"},{"product_id":"pico-boulevard-main-street-los-angeles-through-time","title":"Pico Boulevard: Main Street Los Angeles Through Time","description":"This book is a photographic essay on the history of Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles, highlighting continuity and changes from the late nineteenth century into the twenty-first through the prism of the street’s architectural legacy. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePico Boulevard is one of the major east-west boulevards running through Los Angeles, and traverses industrial, urban, and commercial areas serving among the most culturally, demographically, and economically diverse neighborhoods. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is an example of the many Main Street-style boulevards in the city, mixing mom-and-pop business establishments that cater to local and immigrant communities with large commercial enterprises. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs the urban fabric and transportation infrastructure in Los Angeles undergo major changes, so is Pico Boulevard, which is becoming prime frontage for new commercial, multi-family and mixed-use redevelopment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/rebecca-michelson\"\u003eRebecca Michelson\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/ruth-wallach\"\u003eRuth Wallach\u003c\/a\u003e [\/authors]","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":22408697118802,"sku":"9781635000863","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781635000863.jpg?v=1556623957"},{"product_id":"abandoned-california-king-solomon-mine","title":"Abandoned California: King Solomon Mine","description":"\u003cspan\u003eSome of the richest gold strikes in California history were found in the areas of Randsburg and Johannesburg, located in the Mojave Desert section of Kern County. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe desert is a graveyard of abandoned mines, shafts, pits and tailing dumps. Fortunately, some of these historic old mines are still standing, providing us with a rare and valuable glimpse into the world of those who sought to uncover the hidden treasure of gold in the earth. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFew got rich and many died paupers in the search for the shiny yellow mineral, yet the burning fever to hit that big strike kept luring men and women to California from all points of the globe. It was a time of “all or nothing.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe King Solomon Mine is one of those relics of another era still standing, rising from the mountain and casting its long shadow over the debris and abandoned junk cluttering the ground around it. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt sits quiet, a sentinel in the desert, waiting in hope for the day when it will come to life again for modern-day gold hunters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/cynthia-ackley-nunn\"\u003eCynthia Ackley Nunn\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":22634459627602,"sku":"9781634991322","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634991322.jpg?v=1559569237"},{"product_id":"the-fight-abroad-and-the-fear-back-home-italians-of-the-california-coast-during-world-war-ii","title":"The Fight Abroad And The Fear Back Home: Italians Of The California Coast During World War II","description":"Plenty of tales of heroism have been shared about the Second World War, but few illustrate the anxiety and injustices endured on U.S. soil. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDick is a fatherless boy and the only man in a household of nine. Anthony is your average Italian kid from Boyle Heights. He’s courting Stevie’s baby sister, Lucy. Stevie’s a go-getter whose reality is carved by his father’s sink or swim devotion to LA business. Frankie’s a glamor guy attending USC and the privileged son of a notorious Sicilian gambling tzar. His kid sister Anna fears the same fate as the Japanese. War was never part of the plan. But more than simple war ties them. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eItalian-Americans made up the largest ethnic group to serve, yet sadly, more than half a million of their relatives living stateside became “enemy aliens.” \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Fight Abroad\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e honors the military service of Los Angeles Italians, while \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Fear Back Home\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e centers on the hardships they faced along the California coast— property seizure, curfew and travel restrictions, forced relocation, shame, and even internment. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe quiet stigma is no longer hidden.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/j-michael-niotta\"\u003eJ. Michael Niotta\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31344439689298,"sku":"9781634991872","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634991872.jpg?v=1574256657"},{"product_id":"wine-country","title":"Southern California Wine Country Through Time: The Vineyards and Wineries of Temecula","description":"\u003cspan\u003eGrapes have been grown in the Temecula Valley since the mission days in the 1830s, but the development of the region as a renowned wine-producing area occurred centuries later. Temecula Valley received formal recognition as an American Viticultural Area in 1984. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eViticulture refers to the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. Temecula Valley has over forty licensed wineries, producing over 500,000 cases annually. The name Temecula comes from the Luiseño Indian word Temecunga—temet meaning “sun” and “-ngna” which means “place of.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Spanish settlers who came into the region translated the word to mean, “where the sun breaks through the mist.” The city of Temecula is in the extreme southwestern section of Riverside County and is 58 miles north of San Diego, and 86 miles from Los Angeles. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVisitors can enjoy award-winning wines in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere set in the beauty of the verdant Temecula Valley. In 2019, a popular magazine for wine connoisseurs named Temecula as one of the ten best wine vacation destinations in the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/marge-bitetti\"\u003eMarge Bitetti\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31755182276690,"sku":"9781634991704","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634991704.jpg?v=1578170547"},{"product_id":"lana-turner","title":"Lana Turner: A Silver Valley Childhood","description":"\u003cspan\u003eThe Sweater Girl, Queen of the Silver Screen, Lanita, Nightclub Queen—Lana Turner was known by many nicknames after her rise to fame, most of which she detested. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHer private life, like her movies, played out before an audience of millions. Her numerous marriages and scandals became fodder for tongue-waggers and malicious gossip columnists. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat many forget is that before she became Lana Turner, she was Julia Jean Turner, or simply Judy to the people who knew her as a child in the small mining town of Wallace, Idaho. Very little has been written about her earliest years as a child in Idaho's Silver Valley, which were probably some of the happiest and most formative of her life. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFacts are hard to come by, but determined digging has brought some new information to light. Wallace is a town that is exceedingly proud of its history in general, and of Lana Turner in particular. This native daughter is still strong in the memories of the people of Wallace. She was theirs before Hollywood and the rest of the world claimed her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/cynthia-ackley-nunn\"\u003eCynthia Ackley Nunn\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32000162562130,"sku":"9781634992046","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634992046.jpg?v=1583064700"},{"product_id":"hollywood-california-through-time","title":"Hollywood, California, Through Time","description":"\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHollywood, California, Through Time\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e is a visual discovery of the most dreamed about city in the world. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHollywood is a physical place, with over a century of cinema, where you can still feel the creative energy as soon as you hit the pavement. These original recent color photographs and mostly unseen vintage black-and-white images breathe life into the community that continues to capture the imagination of every individual that has ever sat and marveled at the lights and shadows we call the movies. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTommy Dangcil, born and raised in Hollywood, has a Bachelor of Arts in radio, television, and film from California State University, Los Angeles, and is currently an I.A.T.S.E. Hollywood Local 728 Studio Electrical Lighting Technician. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe has been working on feature films all over the world for the last twenty-seven years. A few of his recent credits include: \u003cem\u003eFord v Ferrari\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eAvengers: Endgame\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eNightcrawler\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eHER\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eThe Master\u003c\/em\u003e. This is his third book, following Arcadia Publishing’s \u003cem\u003eHollywood: 1900-1950 in Vintage Postcards\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eHollywood Studios\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/tommy-dangcil\"\u003eTommy Dangcil\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32266386047058,"sku":"9781684730001","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781684730001.jpg?v=1588083413"},{"product_id":"abandoned-and-historic-los-angeles-neon-and-beyond","title":"Abandoned and Historic Los Angeles: Neon and Beyond","description":"\u003cspan\u003eSomewhere between the Hollywood sign and the Pacific Ocean, underneath the palm trees and above the crowded highways, there they are. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou may have seen one in your favorite movie, or walked by one a thousand times. They're the landmarks, buildings, storefronts, and vintage signs that are part of what make LA and its surroundings so iconic. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNot only can you see the history of Los Angeles, you can see history. Every historic location, abandoned storefront, and vintage sign is a lesson in LA's past. Among the flickering neon portraits are essays, anecdotes, and stories from artists, writers, actors, and musicians about their own personal LA. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTake a journey to the towns, cities, and neighborhoods that define Los Angeles culture, one photo at a time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/jason-horton\"\u003eJason Horton\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":33051078590546,"sku":"9781634992558","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634992558.jpg?v=1603890037"},{"product_id":"hollywood-tales","title":"Tales of Hollywood Through Time","description":"“Hooray for Hollywood,” the 1937 anthem by Johnny Mercer for the film Hollywood Hotel, says it all cinematically as dozens of star wannabes head for Hollywood in a full production booming vocal number, satirically referencing the illusionary desire to become famous actors: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e♫ “Hooray for Hollywood, that screwy, bally hooey Hollywood, where any office boy or young mechanic, can be a panic, with just a good-looking pan … !” ♫ \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut that is just what happened. A little sun-drenched village in California in 1887 discovered “stardom” and surpasses, at least in lore, any other little village in the world. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTales of Hollywood Through Time\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, with or without searchlights, captures a bit of that journey. Tales connects the past with the present via yellowed archival photos combined with the contemporary photography of homeboy Frank Muzzy. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt provides visual storytelling—the closest tool we have for time travel among orange groves and oil wells during the nurturing era of the art form of the twentieth century, the cinema. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Hollywood” is a recognized global name of a clichéd dream factory, or the nightmare of a realized wish. Both sides of the flipped coin are beautifully packaged from the mountains to the sea in glorious technicolor and cinemascope.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/frank-muzzy\"\u003eFrank Muzzy\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":33095253164114,"sku":"9781635001068","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781635001068.jpg?v=1605036984"},{"product_id":"murders-mysteries-and-misdemeanors-of-hollywood-and-los-angeles","title":"Murders, Mysteries, and Misdemeanors of Hollywood and Los Angeles","description":"\u003cspan\u003eMurder is shocking. The savagery of Elizabeth Short’s (also known as the Black Dahlia) slaying was beyond anything Los Angeles, indeed the U.S., had experienced. Short would not be the only young woman in Los Angeles during the 1940s to suffer at the hands of a brutal and sadistic killer, a killer who was never caught. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSenseless murder, rape, and robbery were a common thread throughout the streets of Los Angeles of the mid-twentieth century. Men and women without much hope, and even less money, were all too often the victims and the perpetrators. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHowever, the wealthy were not exempt. Love, rage, jealousy, and money were all reasons for the murders, mysteries, and misdemeanors covered in this book, from one end of Los Angeles to the other.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/janice-oberding\"\u003eJanice Oberding\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Murders, Mysteries, and Misdemeanors","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39387870953554,"sku":"9781634992817","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634992817.jpg?v=1620295729"},{"product_id":"abandoned-california-the-salton-sea","title":"Abandoned California: The Salton Sea","description":"\u003cspan\u003eThe Salton Sea, California’s largest inland body of water, was a spectacular oasis in the desert which attracted droves of boating, fishing, and beach enthusiasts for fun in the sun. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThroughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Salton Sea was a notorious playground for celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, and the Beach Boys, who routinely drove out from Hollywood, 175 miles away. By the 1970s, unpredictable and poisonous agricultural runoff continually flooded the shorelines and caused many of the fish to die. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter storms decimated several of the resorts and marinas, many residents were forced to abandon their homes and businesses. These once glorious seaside towns have been reduced to bleak, desolate wastelands, as the Salton Sea is now drying up. It has become the site of an ecological disaster, as toxic dust from its exposed bottom is picked up by winds, poisoning the humans, wildlife, and agriculture of the entire region. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbandoned California: The Salton Sea\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e is a collection of photographs and writings by Andy Willinger which capture the sublime beauty of the forsaken landscapes, buildings, and artifacts of this historic area’s once vibrant past.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/andy-willinger\"\u003eAndy Willinger\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Abandoned Union","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39420163555410,"sku":"9781634992992","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634992992.jpg?v=1621536278"},{"product_id":"murders-mysteries-and-misdemeanors-in-southern-california","title":"Murders, Mysteries, and Misdemeanors in Southern California","description":"\u003cspan\u003eSouthern California can be called a sunny place for shady people. Its criminal history is as rich and varied as anywhere. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOld West outlaws, serial killers, gangsters and thieves have all robbed, raided, killed and died south of Sacramento. Home to the movie business, Los Angeles has long been a place of bright lights and dark deeds. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMajor Raymond Lisenba, California’s last man to hang, committed murder-by-rattlesnake. Fueled by a half-pint of illegal whiskey, Dallas Egan danced his way to the gallows. “Yacht Bandit” Lloyd Sampsell cruised California’s coast like a latter-day buccaneer, only visiting dry land for another robbery. Joaquin Murieta terrorized the goldfields and Southern California, entering Californian history and folklore in the process. Billy Cook entered popular culture (and San Quentin’s gas chamber), inspiring The Doors’ “Riders on the Storm” and classic film The Hitcher. James “Rabbit” Kendrick’s execution inspired friend and fellow-convict Merle Haggard to go straight. Haggard immortalized Kendrick with country classic “Sing Me Back Home.” Some are well-remembered, others long forgotten, but all have their own place in California’s chronicles of crime.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/robert-walsh\"\u003eRobert Walsh\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Murders, Mysteries, and Misdemeanors","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39456363642962,"sku":"9781634993241","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634993241.jpg?v=1624196028"},{"product_id":"crescenta-valley-s-dirty-laundry-gossip-crime-and-tragedy","title":"Crescenta Valley’s Dirty Laundry: Gossip, Crime and Tragedy","description":"The Crescenta Valley is an upper middle-class suburb of Los Angeles. It enjoys a low crime rate and high property values. But like any community, it has a distasteful side to its history. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThese are the stories you won’t hear from the local Chamber of Commerce—mildly amusing gossip and cringe-worthy history; racial hatred; a town close enough to Hollywood to provide quiet homes to not-so-quiet Hollywood stars, including the gossip that goes with them. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd all of this in a valley between two mountain ranges that offer natural disasters on a seeming regular schedule. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLike someone’s dirty laundry, this history book reveals some embarrassing stains.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/gary-keyes\"\u003eGary Keyes\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/mike-lawler\"\u003eMike Lawler\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39674330251346,"sku":"9781634993579","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634993579.jpg?v=1636201479"},{"product_id":"floating-casino","title":"It's a Pleasure: The Men Who Ushered in the Era of the Floating Casino","description":"Three miles outside California’s jurisdiction amid the second half of the roaring twenties, a handful of bootleggers, gamblers, Mafiosi, and political fixers sank their earnings into a boisterous new venture. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom kidnapping to killing, bouts with lawmen and public officials, and feuds among competing factions, \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIt’s a Pleasure\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e covers the events that defined the gambling ship era, the vessels where the magic happened, and the players who ushered in the offshore betting craze, some of whom are now considered founding fathers of modern-day Las Vegas. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLos Angeles crime historian, Dr. J. Michael Niotta, reveals the rivalry between the powerful Spring Street gambling clique and the local mafia, highlighting the role of his great grandfather, L.A. godfather Jack Dragna, a co-owner in two of the earliest water gamblers on the West Coast. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMoving toward the war years, Niotta delves into the glad-handing tactics and troubles of personable gambler Tony Cornero, and snapshots the industry’s abrupt end. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIt’s a Pleasure\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e includes a foreword by Geoff Schumacher, VP of Exhibits and Programs, Las Vegas Mob Museum, and an introduction by Steve Lawson of the California Wreck Divers and Adventurers Club of Los Angeles.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/j-michael-niotta\"\u003eJ. Michael Niotta\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40109477331026,"sku":"9781634994163","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634994163.jpg?v=1661249624"},{"product_id":"signs-of-la","title":"Signs of Los Angeles: Lost in the Dark","description":"\u003cspan\u003eSomewhere between the allure of the Hollywood sign and Pacific Ocean, there it is.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e You may have seen it in your favorite movie, walked by it a thousand times, or maybe it’s just a distant memory. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt's the signs and storefronts that make LA, and the greater Los Angeles area, so iconic. Not only can you see the history of Los Angeles, you can see history. A history, in some cases, that is holding on for dear life. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEach photo tells its own story of survival. Amidst these images are essays, anecdotes, and stories from artists, writers, actors, musicians, and business owners about their own personal LA. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTake a journey to the towns, cities, and neighborhoods that define culture, one photo at a time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/jason-horton\"\u003eJason Horton\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"Photographer's America","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40205992067154,"sku":"9781634994194","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634994194.jpg?v=1666518783"},{"product_id":"weird-crescenta","title":"Weird Crescenta Valley: Historical and Natural Oddities","description":"In \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeird Crescenta Valley\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, we learn about the odd events, people, and places of the valley, along with natural and supernatural oddities. For instance, a new-age religion was briefly located in Crescenta Valley, a religion that later had ties to the rock group The Who. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMoreover, Hollywood’s “King of Sleaze” lived quietly in the valley. Who knew that Nat King Cole’s “Nature Boy” was written by a proto-hippie living in Big Tujunga Canyon in the 1950s? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the weird nature chapter, we learn the origin of the wild parrots of the valley, weird critters such as bats and horny toads, and oddball native plants such as dodder, a parasite that looks and feels like strings of bright orange plastic. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd of course, \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeird Crescenta Valley\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e is rounded out by the usual assortment of local UFO and Bigfoot sightings, along with several chilling ghost stories. Don’t be fooled by the Crescenta Valley’s stable reputation. It’s actually a weird place!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/mike-lawler\"\u003eMike Lawler\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40278392569938,"sku":"9781634994316","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/products\/9781634994316.jpg?v=1671617073"},{"product_id":"californias-most-notorious-crimes-1950-1999","title":"California's Most Notorious Crimes, 1950–1999","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003eCalifornia is known as the \"Golden State.\" However, it has been said that \"all that glitters is not gold.\" Within the pages of this book are true stories including the murder of a family for a 7.5-million-dollar inheritance, and a landlady accused of murdering seven tenants and burying them in her yard. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRead about the murders of twenty-five farm workers buried in peach orchards, and a child who was murdered and buried in a pet cemetery. There is the case of the man wanted in forty-three states for passing half-a-million dollars in fraudulent checks using 350 aliases. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlso within the book are the true stories of how twenty-six children and their school bus driver were buried alive, and how a simple shoplifting incident led to a bunker hidden in the woods where forty-five pounds of charred human remains were found.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e California mafia figures, \"The Mick\" and the \"Capone of Los Angeles,\" are featured in this book, along with an espionage case that resulted in more than a million top military secrets sold to the Soviet Union.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/margaret-laplante\"\u003eMargaret LaPlante\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40674294726738,"sku":"9781634994491","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/files\/9781634994491.jpg?v=1705002380"},{"product_id":"marilyn","title":"Making Sense of Marilyn","description":"\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaking sense of Monroe is problematic. Her so-called autobiography cannot be relied upon, not least because she was insecure, introspective and unable to even make sense of herself\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThere has been much debate about the frame of mind that Monroe was in when, on the night of 5 August 1962, she knowingly or unknowingly took her own life. Had her psyche, right from the beginning, contained the seeds of her own destruction?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWith his medical background, the author is in a position to shed new light on the enigmatic character of Monroe, this fascinating, yet deeply troubled former Hollywood icon, who is regarded as the world’s most famous ever movie star\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe world continues to be fascinated with Marilyn Monroe who dazzled with her beauty and captivated the hearts of millions worldwide with her innocence, charm, generosity, and kindness, and yet, she died tragically at the age of thirty-six. Hollywood columnist, film critic, and author Ezra Goodman, writing in 1961, declared, ‘The riddle that is Marilyn Monroe has not been solved.’ Putting together any sort of remotely searching story about Marilyn Monroe takes on all the aspects of a pathological detective story.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAside from the fact that Marilyn’s so-called autobiography cannot be relied upon, making sense of her is certainly problematical as she was insecure and introspective and unable even to make sense of herself. To facilitate her pathway to fame, Marilyn, by her own admission, invented stories about herself, while others invented stories about her for their own ends.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThere has been much debate about Marilyn’s frame of mind when she knowingly or unknowingly took her own life. Was it mental illness and instability that led Marilyn to an increasing reliance on drugs (and drink), until she finally died from a self-administered excess of them? Had her psyche, right from the beginning, contained the seeds of her own destruction? By teasing out what is authentic from what is inauthentic, it is possible to shed new light on the enigmatic character of Marilyn Monroe, who is regarded, arguably, as the world’s most famous movie star.\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/andrew-norman\"\u003eAndrew Norman\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40677400543314,"sku":"9781781556429","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/files\/9781781556429.jpg?v=1705155969"},{"product_id":"buried-hollywoodland-the-cemeteries-of-los-angeles","title":"Buried Hollywoodland: The Cemeteries of Los Angeles","description":"\u003cp\u003eLos Angeles is home to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood; it's an \"industry\" town through and through. But the movie business isn't its only industry. The City of Angels is also home to the most influential American cemetery: Forest Lawn, \"the Disneyland of Death.” In a culture that stigmatizes grief and loss, Marilyn Monroe’s crypt is one of the most visited tourist sites in the country. The cemeteries of Los Angeles offer Americans a vector to access their morbid curiosities through the cult of celebrity death. Los Angeles is a fairyland, a liminal space, not completely real. Within its confines, the silver screen can be blinding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to the spectacle of celebrity tragedy, the history of LA’s cemeteries reveals a diverse community of immigrants and transplants desperate for the American dream, though you might not know it, depending on whose version of that dream you’re starring in. Both Forest Lawn and Hollywood Forever Cemetery were built on movie set backlots. There's no business like show business, and the cemeteries of Los Angeles have the Hollywood version of America's history down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/jessica-ferri\"\u003eJessica Ferri\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Buried America","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41239121789010,"sku":"9781625451538","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/files\/9781625451538.jpg?v=1729536471"},{"product_id":"buried-san-francisco","title":"Buried San Francisco Bay Area: The Fallen Star","description":"\u003cp\u003eWith the exception of the churchyard behind Mission Dolores and the National Cemetery in the Presidio, all of San Francisco’s gorgeous Victorian-era cemeteries were evicted from the city in the early 1930s and relocated to Colma, a planned city of the dead just below Daly City where the dead outnumber the living 1,000 to 1.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe process of moving hundreds of thousands of graves to Colma wasn’t an easy one, and as history has shown, it wasn’t even complete. Constant development and renovations in San Francisco have revealed that many of the city’s dead never made it to their new resting place, raising questions about the role that cemeteries play in our lives and what we owe to the dead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe story of San Francisco is one of rapid development, for the living—a very specific segment of the living. A city without the dead, or any memorial to them, is a place without history. It is the story of the Bay Area.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/jessica-ferri\"\u003eJessica Ferri\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Buried America","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41239242768466,"sku":"9781625451590","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/files\/9781625451590.jpg?v=1729540081"},{"product_id":"california-s-most-notorious-crimes-1900-1950","title":"California’s Most Notorious Crimes: 1900–1950","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA gripping exploration of California's infamous true crime stories, from unsolved murders to daring prison escapes, revealing a dark history of deception, violence, and tragedy.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom California’s mountain peaks to the desert and over to the ocean lie many true crime stories, many of which remain unsolved. Explore some of California’s most notorious crimes, including bank robbers who made their getaway on a yacht; a woman who kept her boyfriend hidden in the attic of the house she shared with her husband for eighteen years; the bombing of the Los Angeles Times building that resulted in the deaths of twenty employees; the unsolved San Diego murders; and the mysterious death of one of Hollywood’s leading actresses. Read about many daring escapes from Alcatraz, including one that became known as “the Battle of Alcatraz,” after a group of inmates took control of the prison.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlso within the pages of this book are the true stories of a female gang leader who ordered a hit on one of her own gang members; a man who committed murder in order to fake his own death and reap his life insurance benefits; and the gangs that terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area, leaving behind murders, robberies, car jackings, burglaries, and a shootout with law enforcement that resulted in three officers killed in the line of duty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/margaret-laplante\"\u003eMargaret LaPlante\u003c\/a\u003e[\/authors]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"America Through Time","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41239263707218,"sku":"9781625451422","price":26.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/files\/9781625451422.jpg?v=1729541015"},{"product_id":"lost-hollywood","title":"Lost Hollywood","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe only constant in Hollywood is change, and as the movie business rushes headlong into the digital age, the effects of physical and cultural change can be seen most clearly in the iconic Los Angeles locations where our favorite movies were filmed. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSome of these locations remain as they were when first captured on film, while many others have begun to yield to the inexorable pressures of change. Some have become unrecognizable, while others have disappeared altogether. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLost Hollywood\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e is our humble attempt to capture for posterity those locations which remain, before the movies become the only place we can see them again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e[authors] Author(s): \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/jasen-laks\"\u003eJasen Laks\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/lars-theriot\"\u003eLars Theriot\u003c\/a\u003e [\/authors]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Photographer's America","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42315518640210,"sku":"9781625451729","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0020\/9171\/2594\/files\/9781625451729.jpg?v=1772376075"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.through-time.com\/collections\/awards-season\/murders-mysteries-and-misdemeanors.oembed","provider":"America Through Time","version":"1.0","type":"link"}