Marc Wanamaker, author of ‘Early Beverly Hills and Beverly Hills 1930-2005,’ will treat Pacific Palisades Historical Society members and guests to an interesting perspective on Beverly Hills on Thursday, May 7, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Aldersgate Retreat Center, 925 Haverford. Burton Green, one of the three original land developers of the Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas, named this place of severe terrain after Beverly Farms, Massachusetts, a 19th century spa. Since its establishment in 1907, Beverly Hills has been a crossroads for the great movers and shakers of the entertainment industry, tycoons and world leaders. Initially, Beverly Hills was established as a residential community broken into three units. North of Sunset Boulevard was reserved for large estates and mansions; south of Sunset was devoted to medium-sized estates and mansions; and the modest single-family homes and apartments were located south of Wilshire Boulevard. Wanamaker’s presentation will focus on estates north of Sunset and will cover the more famous estates, the people who built them from 1909 through the 1980s, and the intrigues associated with them. He will share secrets that most people do not know about the early days of historic personalities who have helped to shape a universally recognized part of the Westside community. Wanamaker, an expert on film history, is probably the most accessible celebrity in the world. He publishes his telephone number on the Internet and actually answers the telephone himself. In 1971, he formed Bison Archives, a production and research organization. The meeting is free and open to the public.
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