Newport Beach (Images of America Series)

Of all the West Coast communities lapped by the Pacific Ocean, Newport Beach has stood for generations as the epitome of seaside affluence. Its beaches, harbor, yacht clubs, surfing spots, restaurants, and other playground attributes give it the outward appearance of a carefree vacationer's paradise. That truth coexists with another, that Newport Beach has also been a workaday town with traditional businesses. The more than 200 images compiled for this handsome representation of Newport Beach illustrate both the resort aspects that have made the city a worldwide favorite and the building-block businesses that have kept it a viable family community. That's why many corporate and Hollywood giants, such as John Wayne, have called Newport Beach home.

In this new retrospective, author Jeff Delaney has compiled more than 200 postcards to chronicle the city's past. A longtime area resident, Delaney has been collecting postcards and other memorabilia on Newport Beach for many years. These superb images depict early harbors and watercraft, the bathing attire of bygone eras, and Hollywood's use of the picturesque community as a backdrop for movies and television shows.