Once little more than a steamy, tropical jungle, Palm Beach was transformed in the early twentieth century by industrialist Henry Flagler and a handful of architects into a playground for the famous, wealthy, and powerful. There, in the garden of earthly delights, celebrities and capitalists enjoyed a variety of leisure and recreational activities--from parties and tennis to sunbathing and dining--and stayed in the most opulent accommodations ever conceived and constructed. Many who loved this lifestyle became part-time residents and built palatial homes for the winter months. To this day, Palm Beach remains one of America's toniest and most exclusive resorts.

Long Beach successfully incorporated as a city in 1888, and would eventually become California's fifth largest city. Author Marlin Heckman has compiled over 200 vintage postcards to chronicle the history of the "Queen of Beaches." Competition between the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific Railroads brought great numbers of visitors to Southern California at the turn of the century. Resort hotels, apartments, pavilions, and band shells quickly dotted the landscape to accommodate the massive influx of tourists. Seen here are the more famous Long Beach attractions, including Rainbow Pier, the Sun Pavilion, the Hotel del Mar, and the great "Walk of a Thousand Lights," or the Pike, as it was better known.

Palm Springs has been a desert vacation oasis for nearly a century and remains the ultimate posh desert spa in pop culture. Film stars put Palm Springs on the map as a destination for weekend getaways. In the postwar era, it became a centerpiece for golfers and a second home for such Hollywood icons as Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Over the years, postcards portraying Palm Springs have concentrated on its hotels, spas, golf courses, celebrities, and other aspects that have fed the national reputation of the city and its environs as a playground for the rich and famous.

In the brief 100 years since its inception, Miami, which began its life on the shores of the Miami River, has been transformed into an international city that continues to blossom under the warm South Florida sun. Home to just 30,000 pioneering souls in 1920, the greater Miami area has grown to be 2.1 million residents strong and boasts a unique heritage made up of grand hotels and skyscrapers, aviation and marine history, as well as famous people and places.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is a well-known tourist destination whose very name evokes the image of a postcard. What is today one of Florida's largest cities was not always prized for its beautiful beaches and tropical climate. In the early 20th century, it was hailed as the "Gateway to the Everglades" and a "vegetable shipping capital." By the 1920s, Fort Lauderdale found itself at the very center of the phenomenal Florida land boom. Development and tourism became driving forces for the new economy-and there has been no looking back.

From the early 1900s, when visitors reached the sparkling new bathing resort by ferry, to the heydey of Art Deco hotels in the 1930s and beyond, Miami Beach has cast its spell over millions of people and been transformed into a world-class travel destination. Sandy beaches, a balmy climate, a vibrant local community, and a distinctive architectural heritage certainly make Miami Beach a one-of-a-kind city.

Settled along 47 miles of beautiful Atlantic coastline, Palm Beach County has long been a mecca for sport fishing enthusiasts. Graced with a mild climate and bounded with waters nourished by the warm Gulf Stream current, Palm Beachs coastal waters host a rich reserve of marine life. Featured in this captivating retrospective is a history of the sport fishing industry and tales of legendary captains, devoted weekend anglers, and wealthy sportsmen. Bringing to life the sailfish tournaments, fish fries, beauty pageants, and parades of a bygone era, this work is a tribute to the hardworking men and women who built this seaside settlement into a haven for sport fishermen. Follow the evolution of fine fishing boats and learn about the advancements in marine conservation while enjoying the natural beauty of this tropical oasis. Showcased within the book are over 200 vintage images collected from the local librarys historical archive, as well as rare photographs from over 30 local sources, including the West Palm Beach Fishing Club.

This history details the tumultuous lives of Miami Beach’s mid-twentieth century jet set, and features archival photos. From roughly 1930 to 1960, Miami Beach attracted an exclusive colony of socialites, who mixed with Hollywood celebrities and dignitaries, such as Winston Churchill, as effortlessly as tonic mixes with gin. Elizabeth Taylor announced her ill-fated engagement to the son of a former ambassador in Miami Beach. Other movie stars, such as Veronica Lake, were filmed in the enclave. Beautiful model Bab Beckwith, the first Orange Bowl Parade queen, dated John F. Kennedy while he was in Miami in 1944. Speedboat king Gar Wood bought his mistress a $100,000 bayfront home and then sued to force her to vacate the property. A tumultuous affair between John Jacob Astor VI and Lucille Stiglich led to the young model serving time in the Miami Beach jail. Deborah C. Pollack delves into an era filled with excitement, style, humor and panache.

The connections between Myrtle Beach and Conway, South Carolina form an intricate tapestry of contrasting threads-from the neon glitz of the beach resort to the more reserved colonial town that spawned it. Conway citizens enjoyed the coastal town as a playground in the 19th century, and many even helped steer its evolution during the 20th century into a premier vacation destination by relocating to Myrtle Beach to shape and share in its future. Through more than 200 postcards, many dating from the early 1900s, readers witness a wide array of architecture, from the Ocean Forest Hotel and the early Myrtle Beach Pavilion to the local landmarks that were destroyed by Hurricane Hazel in October 1954. These images also tell the stories of other Grand Strand beaches, as well as of Conway, a quintessential Southern city with historic properties and live oak canopies.