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Video: "The History of Tent City"

This is Part One of a two-part, image-driven documentary, on the history of Tent City I had the pleasure to orchestrate and narrate in 2006 while working as Executive Director of the Coronado Historical Association and Museum of History & Art.

The purpose was to share Coronado history with a much larger audience than what we were reaching through membership activities and the occasional newspaper article. As such, it became invaluable as an educational and entertaining visual at various speaking engagements not only in Coronado, but throughout San Diego County.

The very magical Tent City existed south of the Hotel del Coronado from 1900-1939. This documentary is based on a slideshow by Nancy Cobb and Gerry McCartee, two extremely special women who care more about Coronado history than anyone I know, present company excluded perhaps ... Credit is also given to Dave Butler, videographer and editor extraordinaire. We put down the vocal track in the back of his VW bus because it was the only quiet place we could find that day (smile).

I put this video on YouTube in response to the many, many questions I continually receive about Tent City. In the interest of history, and especially Coronado history, I hope you enjoy this project that so many of us worked so hard to prepare. It's folksy, but so is history.

-Joe Ditler

Writer/Historian

This is Part Two of a two-part, image-driven documentary, on the history of Tent City I had the pleasure to orchestrate and narrate in 2006 while working as Executive Director of the Coronado Historical Association and Museum of History & Art.