Exhibitions > Avalon: 100 Years of Bizarre, Fascinating and Colorful History
Opening October 11, 2013
In honor of Avalon`s centennial, the museum will showcase the individuals, events and moments that shaped the unique culture of Avalon in the last 100 years.From colorful figures like early 20th-century naturalists Charles Frederick Holder, founder of the Tuna Club, and Blanche Trask, who identified 553 indigenous Catalina Island plant species, to Richard "Clams" Saldana, the Vietnam veteran who lost a hand in the war, only to return to the island and set a Catalina Island golf course record of 24 holes-in-one.
Unexplainable mysteries such as amateur archaeologist Ralph Glidden`s claims of 8-foot giants that once lived on Catalina Island to today`s high concentration of UFO sightings thought to be a result of advanced military technology being tested in the area.
For hundreds of years smugglers and bootleggers have looked to Avalon as a safe haven. During prohibition, rumrunners roamed the channel suppling speed boats with copious amounts of illicit liquor. More recently, smugglers are known to use the beautiful waters surrounding Catalina Island while attempting to transport illegal drugs and immigrants into Southern California.
Even Mother Nature has left her mark on the island. Over the last 100 years, natural disasters such as fire and raging winter storms have transformed the face of Avalon.
Derived completely from the museum`s own collection, this exhibition will explore the events that shaped present-day Avalon.
Exhibition Sponsors
Steve and Ronna Schreiner
`Ohana Harbor Coffee Company
Santa Catalina Island Company
Steven Mandel, M.D.
Jim and Joyce Brown
The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation
Hermosa Hotel
Catalina Beach House
Hotel Metropole and Marketplace
Catalina Island Medical Center
Catalina Island Vacation Rentals
Catalina Island Real Estate
Interested in becoming a sponsor? Click here
