AND THE CITY PARIS HOTEL

A view of Avalon harbor at Santa Catalina Island, California, named by Spanish explorer, Sebastian Vizcaino, to honor the feast day of St. Catherine of Alexandria.

Located 25 miles off the coast of Southern California, the island is 22 miles long and 8 miles across at its greatest width. The highest peak is over 2000 feet at Mount Orizaba. Built in 1946, Catalina's "Airport in the Sky" (AVX) is on a mountain top, 1600 feet above sea level. Air service to the island was only by seaplane prior to the airport being built.

George Shatto, a real estate speculator from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was the first private owner of the island. He bought the island for $200,000 in 1887 and tried to develop Avalon into a resort destination. Shatto created the settlement that would become Avalon, and can be credited with building the town's first hotel, the original Hotel Metropole, and pier. His sister-in-law Etta Whitney came up with the name Avalon, which was pulled as a reference from Lord Alfred Tennyson's poem "Idylls of the King," which was about the legend of King Arthur. Despite Shatto's efforts, in a few years he had to default on his loan.

In the late 1890's the island was owned by the Santa Catalina Island Company in another effort to develop it as a resort. In 1919, chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr, bought controlling interest in the Santa Catalina Island Company. Wrigley's Chicago Cubs used the island for spring training for many years.

During World War II the island was closed to tourism and used for military purposes.

In 1975, Philip Wrigley deeded the Wrigley shares in the Santa Catalina Island Company to the Catalina Island Conservancy that he had helped create. The Conservancy now stewards 88 percent of the island. The mission of the Catalina Island Conservancy is to be a responsible steward of its lands through a balance of conservation, education and recreation.

Catalina Island is home to approximately 4000 residents.

In the early part of the 20th century, the Hotel St. Catherine was an exclusive resort hotel on Santa Catalina Island that was a favorite of Hollywood stars and movie moguls. Built in 1917-1918 to replace the Hotel Metropole, which burned during the terrible fire of November 1915 that destroyed almost a third of the town, the St. Catherine was an elegant getaway for nearly 30 years. During World War II, the hotel was requisitioned by the military for troop housing. Locals note that the grand lady never quite recovered her glamour after that, and the hotel was closed in 1966.

This is a luncheon menu from Tuesday, October 10, 1922, offering abalone chowder, baked marlin a la creole, curried chicken giblets, veal with raisin dressing, a cold service of roast beef, ox tongue, sardines, and cervelat (German preserved sausage), and for dessert, pear water ice with cake, and something called "cupid chips."

It appears that the menu could be mailed as a postcard by folding it along indicated lines and sealing it with a brightly-colored "Catalina Island" sticker. The address flap has been removed, along with the half of the sticker that adhered to it - the remaining half obscures part of the text on the back, which lists "Things to Do at Catalina," including glass bottom boat trips, fishing, scenic tours, hiking, dancing, horseback riding, and "bathing" (i.e., swimming.)

The menu measures 5.5"x9" (3"x5.5" folded.) There is evidence on the left side that it has been feasted on by enterprising mice, who perhaps thought they were going to get to taste some of the delightful items listed. The back has lost some of its text, but the front side with its wonderful graphic elements and quintessentially Art Deco design in vivid blue and yellow is clean and unmarred except for the mouse-nibbles.