Rare Early Catalina Promotional Brochure and Map
This rare Banning Brothers' promotional brochure for Santa Catalina Island provides a detailed depiction of the island's attractions and features a topographical map from the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey of 1893. The Banning family acquired the island in 1891 and transformed it into a popular tourist destination through their Santa Catalina Island Company.
The Bannings developed a wide array of attractions to entice tourists, including stagecoach tours, hunting lodges, and expanded beach access. They introduced tourists to the island’s natural beauty, including Lover's Cove, Descanso Beach, and Sugarloaf Point, which would later become the site of the iconic Catalina Casino. Their investments in tourism infrastructure, such as the building of the Pleasure Pier in 1909, made the island a sought-after resort.
The brochure vividly illustrates the appeal of Santa Catalina Island as both a summer and winter destination, emphasizing its accessible natural beauty, abundant activities, and the charm of Avalon. The Bannings advertised the island as a retreat, where visitors could engage in various forms of recreation, including boating, fishing, mountain climbing, and even wild goat hunting. The brochure also highlights the natural diversity of the island, with its crystal-clear waters, kelp forests, and marine life, offering a unique experience for tourists.
One notable aspect of the Bannings’ management of the island was their monopoly on transportation. They owned the Wilmington Transportation Company, the only company permitted to land tourists on the island for many years. This exclusive control extended until 1907, when a court ruling declared Avalon an open port. The Bannings had previously enforced their control by preventing other vessels from docking on the island, enhancing their dominance over Catalina tourism.
In 1915, a devastating fire destroyed half of Avalon, including key hotels and clubs. The family attempted to rebuild, including plans for the luxurious Hotel Saint Catherine. However, a combination of financial strain and the impact of World War I on tourism forced them to sell the island in 1919.
The topographical map in the brochure, based on the 1893 U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, shows the island's rugged terrain and landmarks. This map not only provided visitors with a sense of the island's geography but also reflected the Bannings' focus on the exploration of Catalina’s interior, where they established new roads and lodges for tourists.
The Banning Company advertised Catalina travel using the 222 Spring Street Address from 1895 to 1904.
This is the earliest promotional brochure for Catalina we have seen.
Rarity
The promotional brochure is apparently unrecorded. Not in OCLC.
We were unable to locate another examples of this brochure and map.
Regarded as one of the giants of early California Surveyors, Charles T. Healey was educated at Perkinsville Academy, and began his career as a surveyor at a very early age.
Healey spent time in New York before going to California in 1854, where he arrived first in San Jose. He was employed as city clerk in San Jose from 1856 to 1858 and city engineer from 1862 to1866, during which time he received the rank of Captain as part of his role in the home guard of San Jose. He also served as county surveyor of Santa Clara county from 1856 to 1858. Healey also was the mining engineer of two quicksilver mines, the New Almaden and the Guadalupe, near San Jose.
During Healey's years in the area, it was said that he surveyed every Spanish land grant south of San Jose, California.
Healey began doing survey work in Southern California by the 1870s, when he was was invited by Jotham Bixby to survey the Rancho Los Cerritos, which included laying out a townsite that would eventually become Long Beach. This work would lead to his becoming the the first resident and surveyor for Willmore City, which would shortly thereafter be renamed as Long Beach, California.
Healey was the first licensed surveyor in California, following the creation of the California licensing provisions by the California Business & Professions Code, holding license number 1 granted by the State on July 20, 1891.
He has been recognized as one of "the giants of the land surveying profession."