EVENTS & EXHIBITS
 

 

 

 

 

EVENTS
May 17, 2008

Silent Film Benefit &
Avalon Ball

 

May 29 - June 1

Flying Fish Festival

 

EXHIBITS
October - May 2008

Catalina's Civil War Story


January - June 2008
Catalina's Plein Air Art

 

 

 

 

 


 



 

 

 

 

 
 

NEW!  Staff Blog

This new page is intended to share an insider's view to the Museum and our Island Community.  Staff will post writings here periodically to share their stories and insights.  Every day is special here at the museum and we are learning something new all the time!  We also are privileged to meet wonderful people and hear their great memories of the Island.

Keep checking for postings and please share your feedback with us.

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May 3, 2008

Last weekend, Crescent Avenue (also known as Front Street to us locals) hosted about 20 vintage motorcycles in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the last Grand Prix motorcycle race in 1958.  Event organizer Johnny Brown did a great job pulling the event together and invited the museum to participate.

Our curator, Jeannine Pedersen, put together a photo exhibit for our booth on Wrigley Stage.  She also pulled out a vintage trophy and some racing footage courtesy of volunteer and museum member Roger Meadows.  Our booth attracted lots of interest while folks poured over the photos and copies of the programs.

 Intrepid and dedicated volunteer Dean Hill happily grabbed his video camera and filmed the bikes as well as got some great interviews with former racers and oganizer Johnny Brown.  This footage, combined with our historic racing footage and photos will be edited into a 10-15 minute segment for our Telethon coming up this fall in November.

More and more we look for opportunities at special events like this to videotape, both for the historical record and for our telethon so we can share it with our members and community.  If you hear of special reunions or events, keep us in mind. Sometimes we get so engrossed in our day to day activities it's easy to miss an event.

Many thanks to volunteer Laurie Hill for both helping at the booth and coordinating all the other volunteers that pitched in.

Here's some background on the Grand Prix races from Jeannine:

    "During the 1950s, Catalina Island was host to a great motorcycle race series known as the Catalina Grand Prix.  Several Southern California sportsmen approached Philip K. Wrigley with the idea and through the combined efforts of the Santa Catalina Island Company and countless individuals, clubs, and dealers a race was born.  The event was tailored after the famous Isle of Man Tourist Trophy race which is held annually on that island resort located 70 miles off the coast of England.  The Isle of Man race is a week-long series of high speed races that was first held in 1907 and has long been considered the world’s greatest motorcycle race.  Catalina’s Grand Prix was much like the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy in that contestants raced along an island course which took them from sea level to over 1,000 feet in elevation; however the Isle of Man race was strictly on a paved circuit while the Catalina race covered all kinds of terrain including city streets, winding paths, dirt roads and a horse trail.  

Catalina’s Grand Prix consisted of a two-day road race divided into two events.  The first was a 60 mile race for lightweight motorcycles and the second event - a 100 mile race for larger capacity motorcycles took place the following day.  The races were strictly for sport, no cash price was ever rewarded, nor was there an admission fee.   The contestants raced for fame, glory and a trophy – if they were lucky!  According to an article written by Bill Bagnall “The Catalina Grand Prix grew each year in prominence and became internationally known in motorcycle circles.  A Spring victory in Avalon usually assured a successful sales season for the manufacturer of the winning brand.”  And, some of top winning brands included Triumph, Harley Davidson, AJS, BSA, Mustang and Indian motorcycles. 

Catalina’s Grand Prix was held annually from 1951 through 1958 with great success.  Each May over 300 motorcycles and thousands of spectators would descend upon Avalon for the weekend event.  And, over the years many skilled riders crossed the finish line into Catalina Island history."

Stacey Otte
Executive Director

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March 22, 2008

Spring has definitely sprung on Catalina and it's one of the most beautiful ones I've ever experienced here.  Here are two photos I took a few weekends ago that will hopefully whet your appetite for more.

The burn areas are green, green, green, and believe it or not, there are areas that look more like Ireland than Southern California.  It's times and vistas like these that make me so grateful for living here. 

I've lived on the island for (gulp!) seventeen years which is a startling thought in many ways.  I have family and friends that shake their heads at the thought that I'm still living on "that island."  When am I going to rejoin the "real world?" they wonder.

Well, in the last few weeks I've taken a few hours here and there to spend some time in the hills and I've been reminded, on a very deep and maybe even spiritual level, why I'm still here.

Catalina Island is a very special place.  It is unlike anywhere else I've ever been or ever lived.  The sense of community is unparalled and the scenic beauty unmatched.  I can walk to work in five minutes, I can watch the sun rise over the ocean while I sip my morning coffee, and my neighbors watch out for me, just like I watch out for them. 

I'm blessed to live here and doubly blessed to have a very challenging and rewarding career, as well.  From this side of the ocean, life is looking pretty good. 

Stacey Otte
Executive Director

 

March 12, 2008

I am happy to report that I just finished writing my third book with Arcadia Publishing, Images of America: Catalina By Air.  I spent the past couple of months finishing up my research, conducting interviews with several individuals and writing my manuscript.  I actually did much of the writing from home where the phone doesn’t ring off the hook and the distractions are much more limited than in the office environment.  It took months of research and a solid month of writing, but my manuscript is now in the hands of my editor and designer at Arcadia Publishing.  Once the design is complete, the book will come back to me one more time for final approval and then it will go to print.  The book includes 200 photographs, brochures and ephemera related to Catalina aviation and a wealth of history, information and stories.  The book was definitely a collaborative effort and I would like to personally thank Jessica Morales and Stacey Otte for their excellent assistance with research and editing.  Thank you to John Phelps, Doug Bombard, John Moore, Joey Hernandez, Irene & Frank Strobel, Hugh T. Smith, David T. Johnston and Sandra Putnam for sharing their wonderful memories and photos.  Thank you to the Santa Catalina Island Company, the Briles Family, Allan & Laurie Carter, Jay Guion, Dennis Buehn and Al Gordon for contributing photographs for the book.  A special thank you to Rex and Carol Cotter for sharing the stories and memories they collected from local residents and visitors.  And, an extra special thank you to Roger Meadows for his enthusiasm, support and research assistance.  Images of America: Catalina By Air will be available in the Museum Store on July 28, 2008.  We will keep you posted because I will most likely do a lecture and book signing to celebrate the book’s release.  I am very happy and relieved to be finished and I truly hope you will enjoy this new publication.   

Jeannine Pedersen
Curator

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February 5, 2008

I have not lived here for quite a year yet, but what a year it has been! I moved to Catalina Island with my boyfriend last March from Minneapolis, MN. It has been a big change for us. Of course, we cannot get enough of the Southern California weather especially this time of year. I grew up on a lake in a small tourist town in northern Wisconsin. As you can imagine, the island is completely different than the Midwest. I would have never dreamed I would have the opportunity to live on an island in the Pacific Ocean. So far it has been a great adventure and we try to take advantage of the ‘island life’ as much as possible. We have traveled numerous times into the interior and relaxed on the other side of the island, watched the buffalo, explored Two Harbors and have had great meals at the Airport in the Sky. We have also been kayaking with sea lions swimming around us, been on a fishing charter and have been lucky enough to travel by boat all the way around the island seeing many aspects of the island that most people have never had the chance to see. We certainly do not take our surroundings for granted. There have also been some trying times with the fire that happened back in May which threatened our new home in Avalon. This was not exactly the adventure we were looking for. However, what came out of it and what impressed us the most was how this small community came together to help each other and support our dedicated local and state firemen and women, as well as all the other entities, that came together in our community’s time of need. In the end, it was a great feeling to know that we had moved to such an amazing and unique place.

 Shortly after we moved to the island I was hired by the Catalina Island Museum as the assistant to the Executive Director and the Membership Coordinator. Both of these were new positions for the museum and since we are such a small group, I tend to wear many hats. I have loved the chance to be involved in so many aspects of the museum’s operations and events. My favorite and main part of my job is being the membership coordinator. I have undertaken the goal of making our members feel like they are part of our museum family as well as our island community. I have already met a lot of our members in person and hope to meet as many as possible in the coming years. Currently, I am working on updating our membership benefits and hope to get the new materials printed soon. I feel like our current and new members will be happy with the changes and updates. Another thing we are working on is to add a ‘Members Only’ area on our website where current members can log in to view special preview information about any upcoming events and an insider’s view of our collections with insight from our curator. If you are a current member or are considering becoming a member please feel free to contact me any time with questions, comments or ideas. You can reach me via email: membership@catalinamuseum.org.

 Gail Fornasiere
Executive Assistant/Membership Coordinator

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Catalina Air Lines, Grumman Goose, 1960s

January 4, 2008

One of the benefits of being the Curator of the Catalina Island Museum is that I am often knee deep in the history of the Island.  Currently, I am working on my third book with Arcadia Publishing that will be titled “Images of America: Catalina By Air”.  The Island has a fascinating history of air transportation dating back to 1912 when a young Glen Martin made history by crossing the San Pedro Channel in a flying boat.  When Martin landed in Avalon Bay he successfully completed the longest and fastest over-ocean flight and the first water landing.  Aviation technology quickly expanded and it was not long before the first air passenger service was introduced on Catalina Island.  Syd Chaplin, half-brother to Charlie Chaplin, began the first seaplane service between Wilmington, CA and Catalina Island in 1919.  Seaplane service thrived on Catalina and residents and visitors fondly remember the planes buzzing overhead and the roar of their engines; many recall the thrill of crossing the channel and landing on the water.  However, seaplanes are only part of the story.  The Airport-in-the-Sky opened in 1946 and United Airlines operated DC-3s between Los Angeles and Catalina Island for several years.

 I have been researching this history since early summer and was assisted by my summer intern, Jessica Morales who spent many hours combing through The Los Angeles Times archives and The Catalina Islander.  Jessica and I have compiled all of the information we found into two large binders and organized all of the information by specific airlines, airports and events.  I have also combed through the museum’s photograph and ephemera collections and selected almost 200 images that will appear in the publication.  My task now is to finish up my research, interview several key players who were involved in the Island’s aviation history and start writing.  My manuscript is due February 20th so I better get to it.  I will keep you posted on my progress and please keep a look out this summer for the Museum’s latest publication, Catalina By Air!

Jeannine L. Pedersen
Curator  

 

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Happy Holidays from the Staff at the Museum!
(L-R: Marti Winslow, Jeannine Pedersen, Santa, Gail Fornasiere, Suzanne Ruplinger and Stacey Otte)

December 11, 2007

I recently went to a cozy neighborhood Christmas party here in Avalon.  It was my second time at that party and it's always a diverse crowd.  Many of the folks I only see in passing in the Arcade or in line at Vons.  But once a year this group gathers in a classic Catalina cottage, feasts on homemade German food that's been slaved over for hours, and catches up on each others' lives and fondly remember times past.

 And then our host, with the help of a friend, pauses the buzz of conversation and leads us in carols.   They're not always tuneful and sometimes we forget the words, but they're sung with spirit, and with the candles lit around the room a warm feeling embraces us--no doubt helped along by the wine that flows so freely.

 There are many such parties around the island that help us to remember our holiday spirit and sense of community: neighbors helping each other out in times of crisis, service clubs making sure that families have toys around the tree and a turkey on the table, people buying innumerable raffle tickets to support our local charities.

 As we all learn over the years, life can change on a dime and your trajectory shift in unexpected directions  But I've learned that in this special place called Catalina we always rise to the occasion for each other in the most loving and supportive ways--and it happens all year long.

 Happy Holidays to all of you who love Catalina and the things and people that make it so special!

~ Stacey Otte, Executive Director

 

 

 
A Brief History of Catalina
• From pre-history to today
• A century of fun & glamour
   
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• Special events
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