The Big Sur Chamber of Commerce is proud to post this press release regarding the release of a book by Jeff Norman and the Big Sur Historical Society.
In the News
Local Historian Captures Big Sur History in Unprecedented Pictorial Collection
Big Sur, by Jeff Norman, Big Sur Historical Society
Images of America Series
Price: $19.99
ISBN: 0-7385-2913-3
128 pages / soft cover
Publication date: October 2004
More than 200 stunning vintage images capture Big Sur's heritage from its humble beginnings a century ago to recent decades that positioned the area for the global recognition it enjoys today. Author and historian Jeff Norman, of the Big Sur Historical Society, takes readers on a visual tour of this storied region. From the early days of saw mills and cattle ranches to the present day paradise that is visited by millions a year, Jeff Norman unveils the scenery and people of Big Sur in brilliant fashion.
Highlights include:
- Rare photographs and maps never before published
- Fascinating views of the construction of famous Highway 1
- Photographs of noted Big Sur residents including industrialist David Packard and his wife Lucile, Nobel laureate Linus Pauling, newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst, and conservationist Margaret Owings
- An indepth look into Big Sur’s "gold country", the Los Burros Mining District
- Previously unpublished images of the Native American people of Big Sur
- A unique glimpse into the Esalen Institute and its guests
- A portion of the proceeds benefit the Big Sur Historical Society
Author Jeff Norman and the Big Sur Historical Society have collaborated to tell the complex story of Big Sur’s origins and the social fabric that ties the community together to this day. Jeff Norman graduated from Pacific Grove High School in Monterey and went on to attend UC Santa Cruz to study biology. He researches, teaches, explores and writes about the natural and human history of the area. In addition to the scientific papers that he pens, he also contributes regularly to the Big Sur Gazette and Monterey Life, as well as countless other publications. Norman has resided in the Big Sur region for over thirty years.
ARCADIA PUBLISHING CONTACT
Joseph Walker
420 Wando Park Blvd.
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Phone: (843) 853-2070 x126
Fax: (843) 853-0044
jwalker@arcadiapublishing.com
www.arcadiapublishing.com
Big Sur
By Jeff Norman, Big Sur Historical Society
0-7385-2913-3
Images of America Series
128 pages/ $19.99
paperback
Big Sur is a river and a region on California’s Central Coast. Extending for 75 miles along the Pacific shore, from south of Carmel to north of San Simeon, the Big Sur Coast is defined by the backdrop of the rugged Santa Lucia Mountains as they abruptly descend to meet the sea. For millennia the home of native people, Americans and Europeans began to settle Big Sur country even before California became a state. They established farms, cattle ranches, gold mines, and sawmills. Long considered one of the most inaccessible regions of California, highway builders penetrated Big Sur in the early 20th century. Even though millions of travelers visit the Big Sur coast every year to be awed by the spectacular panoramic views from Highway 1, a sense of isolation still prevails.
This book combines outstanding photographs from 40 collections, ranging from family albums to institutional archives. Author Jeff Norman and the Big Sur Historical Society have collaborated to tell the complex story of Big Sur’s origins and the social fabric that ties the community together to this day. Jeff Norman, a biologist, historian, and writer, has lived on the Big Sur Coast since 1970.
Purchase Big Sur by Jeff Norman
