Hermosa Beach, California (Images of America Series)

Hermosa Beach has been one of Los Angeles County's most eclectic summertime destinations for vacationing families, surfers, sunbathers, fishermen, volleyball players, and other beachgoers. They ranged from students in search of one crazy summer to their spiritual forefathers and mothers who came, saw, and stayed year-round. The city grew through the 20th century from a train stop into a vital mix of residential housing with businesses strung along Pacific Coast Highway. The city has been homey enough to accommodate statesman William Jennings Bryant and television's iconic Ozzie and Harriet Nelson. Its nationally recognized nightclubs and other venues included the Biltmore Hotel; the Comedy & Magic Club; and the legendary Lighthouse, home of West Coast jazz.

Author Chris Ann Miller is a photojournalist who grew up in a home on the Strand in Hermosa Beach, where her father, Warren Miller, operated a film studio. Her co-author, Jerry Roberts, is the Southern California acquisitions editor for Arcadia Publishing and also edited books including Mitchum: In His Own Words and Eastern Cougar Anthology. The rare photographs collected for their tribute to Hermosa's storied past were supplied by the Hermosa Beach Historical Society and families who have called Hermosa home for generations.