Antique & Vintage Postcards

Perched on its rocky promontory like a terracotta-capped jewel, the brand-new Catalina Casino — opened by William Wrigley Jr. just months before this card was likely printed — dominates the crescent of Avalon Bay in a sweeping aerial view that captures the island at the peak of its Jazz Age glamour. White-hulled steamships crowd the twin piers, automobiles line the promenade, and the red-roofed casino glows against the Pacific blue in a composition that perfectly encapsulates why Catalina became Southern California's premier resort destination in the late 1920s. Card number 2170-29 suggests a 1929 print date — the very year the Casino opened — making this a first-edition view of one of California's most beloved landmarks. Never mailed, the card retains vivid linen colors and is printed by Western Publishing & Novelty Co. of Los Angeles, the dominant California postcard publisher of the era.