Crystal Cove Cottages

Islands in Time on the California Coast Written by Karen E. Steen
Historical and Visual Collections edited by Laura Davick
and Meriam Braselle
Original Photographs by John Connell

9 x 11 in; 160 pp ; 230 color photographs
Hardcover
Published in June, 2005
ISBN 0811847683
ISBN13 9780811847681

$35.00

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Crystal Cove Cottages -- Tucked between the housing developments and golf courses of the Orange County coast lies a small settlement of rustic beach cottages seemingly frozen in time. Crystal Cove Cottages is the first history of this uniquely preserved beach spot that has lured travellers and campers since the 1920s. Deemed by the National Register of Historic Places to be "the last intact example of California beach vernacular architecture," it is now a registered state park whose cottages are newly available for public overnight visits. From silent-film location to rum-runners' hideout, scenic setting for a vibrant landscape painting community to 1950s luau-party headquarters, Crystal Cove has all the while remained a bohemian yet family-friendly village. Ten sidebars on notable individual cottages highlight the Cove's distinct and often amusing architectural evolution. Crystal Cove Cottages captures the nostalgic ambiance of seaside Americana.

Karen E. Steen spent her childhood summer vacations in Crystal Cove. A senior editor at Metropolis, she lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Laura Davick is president and founder of the nonprofit Crystal Cove Alliance and works closely with the California State Parks Department to preserve this unique resource for the public. She lives near Crystal Cove.

Meriam Braselle is a plein air painter and interior designer, and she is an expert on the landscape painting tradition of Crystal Cove and its vicinity. She lives in Orange County, California.

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