The Book Of Santa Barbara

"One of the most beautiful regions of the California coast, Santa Barbara also has one of America’s most affluent and stylish demographics. Possessing the most summery, mild, seductive climate in the country, Santa Barbara has been an elegant and chic style destination since the turn of the last century, when wealthy East Coast families wintered there. The first book to take readers inside the mansions and estates of Santa Barbara today, Santa Barbara Living features the houses and gardens that make Santa Barbara a rarified version of the American Dream"--From the publisher.

The architectural identity of the wealthy southern California town Santa Barbara is explored with emphasis on the architects who designed its major buildings, estates and historic homes. 200 illustrations.

When this book was first published as a bestseller in 1960, reviewers noted that the 400-year history of Ranchero Dos Pueblos mirrored in microcosm the history of California itself. Dos Pueblos bears one of California’s oldest place-name, christened by Cabrillo during his voyage of discovery in 1542. Dubbed a “royal rancho” by historians because it was a gift of King Carlos III of Spain, Dos Pueblos was intended to support Mission Santa Barbara during the presidio period following Santa Barbara’s founding in 1782. The first private owner, Irish-born Nicholas A. Den, a medical man, was awarded ownership of the ranch in 1842 by Mexican governor Juan B. Alvarado. When Col. John C. Fremont came over the mountain to seize Santa Barbara for the U.S. during the Mexican War, he emerged onto Dos Pueblos Ranch. During the Gold Rush of ‘49, Den made his fortune selling Dos Pueblos beef to mining camps. Following Den’s death in 1862 the ranch was subdivided among his widow and numerous children. Before and after the turn of the century Royal Ranch was the scene of many diverse activities. One of its later owners bred racehorses. Another converted Dos Pueblos into the world’s largest orchid farm. A major oil company established off-shore petroleum production from pumps operated on the ranch. At the present time the historic spread specializes in such exotic crops as macadamia, cherimoyas and avocados.

An account of the murder of Phillip Bogdanoff describes how two youths, at the urging of Bogdanoff's stepdaughter and with the consent of his wife, murdered Bodganoff's as he was sunbathing on the beach. Original.

"A comprehensive, thoroughly researched, and deeply felt guide to one of the world's most beautiful and varied regions. Santa Barbara and the neighboring counties of San Luis Obispo and Ventura comprise a transitional zone where the plants and animals of Northern California mix with those of the south, creating diverse and dynamic habitats. Lucid explications of the geological and ecological forces that continue to shape and reshape the area are interspersed with personal accounts, as the author delights in the salty breath of a two-hundred-ton whale near the Channel Islands, the antics of beach hoppers along the shoreline, the explosion of wildflowers on the Carrizo Plain, memories of exploring the chaparral with her father, excursions into oak woodlands, and hikes to lofty peaks and canyons cloaked with pinyon pine and juniper. Enhanced with ample, specially commissioned photographs, maps, and charts, this book will broaden our understanding and deepen our enjoyment of a unique and constantly surprising region."--Back cover.

Deputy District Attorney Joshua Rizzetti has a run-of-the-mill misdemeanor case set for trial, until an unexplained murder postpones it. If he can't quickly figure out its connection to his case, the next murder will be his. This edge-of-your-seat legal thriller, with a twist of humor, will have you hooked from the beginning, and unable to put it down until you reach the clever, thrilling ending.

An exclusive look at the exquisite residential gardens of the American Riviera. Private Gardens of Santa Barbara is an invitation into eighteen distinctive private, and beautiful gardens; large estates, modest homes, and surf retreats run the gamut from sublime and naturalistic to bold and urban. What they have in common, however, is what makes them truly inspiring. Showcased through 190 stunning images in more than 250 pages in this elegant coffee table book format, each beautiful landscape represents a widely varied garden style developed in response to the unique character of each site, the architecture, and the larger environment; and adapted to the lifestyle, personality, and practical needs of the individuals and families who live there. In a career that spans over 30 years, Margie Grace, principal of Grace Design Associates, has established herself as an expert in sustainable landscape design and advocate for environmentally sensitive gardens. These gardens offer endless inspiration for sustainable home garden design, created with water-smart, maintenance-smart, and fire-smart priorities in mind, with high habitat value and plants well adapted to the Southern California climate of Santa Barbara.

The Colorful Story of a Santa Barbara Landmark The Santa Barbara County Courthouse is a widely recognized icon of the city called the e oeCalifornia Riviera, e and just as widely known as a historic architectural achievement. Thousands, if not millions, visit it each yeare "jurists and tourists alikee "but although everyone appreciates its beauty, few really know how it came to be. Surprisingly, in the three-quarters of a century that the building has graced its grounds, no one has undertaken to document this architectural masterpiece. Authors Patricia Gebhard and Kathryn Masson have changed that once and for all with their book, The Santa Barbara County Courthouse. Together with photographer James Chen and book designer Eric Larson, they have created a work that is not only historically important, but nearly as beautiful as the courthouse itself. Many people know or assume that Santa Barbara had a courthouse before the present building was erected in 1929, but almost no one knows anything about it. Gebhard and Masson begin there, with historic photos of the original, classical-style courthouse and its Queen Anne hall of records add-on. In 1919 the county, needing more room, held a design competition for a new courthouse, and the entries received, as Gebhard and Masson show us, were heavily inA3/4uenced by the Spanish baroque style that was popularized by the 1915 Panama-California Exhibition in San Diego. None of these designs was built, however, because the county was unable to raise money to pay for construction. It wasne (TM)t until 1925, when the old courthouse was destroyed by the earthquake that leveled much of Santa Barbara, that a new building became imperative and funds were Aznally secured. Construction began in 1926, with the result we see today. (The footprint of the old building is reflected in the contours of the ! sunken gardens behind the present courthouse.) To document their story, Gebhard and Masson spent months poring over County Supervisorse (TM) minutes, news reports in the Santa Barbara Morning Press and articles in architectural magazines, and courthouse docentse (TM) records. They were able to identify nearly all of the architects, craftsmen, and artists who designed the building and created the exquisite tile, ironwork, furniture, murals and landscaping that grace it inside and out. Many of these individuals and companies are long gone, of course, but many are still active, and, as the authors point out, some of the courthousee (TM)s Azttings can still be ordered from their catalogs. Chene (TM)s 75 full-color photographs beautifully capture the courthousee (TM)s ambiance, and Larsone (TM)s open and asymmetrical book design reA3/4ects the buildinge (TM)s balance between void space and intricate detail. They combine with Gebhard and Massone (TM)s careful research to produce a deAznitive study and appreciation of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, one that can hope to stand as long as the building itself.

Hard cover, cloth bound, coffee-table style picture book. Photographs and essay of Santa Barbara, California. 170 remarkable color images of the city and surrounding areas. Travel, scenic, destination audiences.