| Knott's
Preserved From Boysenberry to Theme Park, the History of Knott's Berry Farm by Christopher
Merritt and J. Eric Lynxwiler How could one place have the world’s best boysenberry
preserves (no, Aunt Susan's isn't better!), world-class roller
coasters, and Independence Hall, too? From the earliest days of the Farm, when Walter Knott, his
wife Cordelia, and their kids were serving up baskets of berries "as
big as a man’s thumb" and berry pies that weighed in at three pounds,
to the advent of themed rides, Camp Snoopy replete with the Peanuts
gang, and the arrival of the fastest coasters the coast had ever
seen—it's all in Knott's Preserved. Brimming with more than 200 images—most of them never before published—Knott's Preserved reveals exactly how the Knott family turned a berry business into one of the major theme parks in the world. Artists and designers will flip at the details and artwork the authors display—the how-it-happened of Knott's from the earliest days. The berries and fried chicken were a just a yummy lead-in to what would become a thrills capital of the world. Plus, it's a story of how a man and a woman remained true to their values, sharing profits and credit whenever they could. Heartwarming? Yes. Decidedly so. For everybody who ever put their arms around Whiskey Bill and
Handsome Brady, screamed in terror at Knott's Scary Farm, or marveled
at the Calico Mine, this is the book that's filled with as much
nostalgia as the Farm itself. Knott's Preserved
is a must for every theme park lover and all those kids at heart. Christopher Merritt is an artist and designer working in the theme park industry. His notable projects include serving as art director for the 2008 Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough at Disneyland, and as a concept and show designer for various attractions at the Disney theme parks. He is an art director for the Dreamworks Zone at Universal Studios Singapore. Lucky enough to grow up in Southern California, he visited Knott’s Berry Farm and Disneyland throughout his childhood. J. Eric Lynxwiler grew up in Southern California and spent one school year working at Knott’s Berry Farm's shooting gallery while earning his degree in urban anthropology at UCLA. Popular host of Los Angeles's renowned Neon Cruise and board member emeritus of the Museum of Neon Art, Lynxwiler co-authored the celebrated book Wilshire Boulevard: Grand Concourse of Los Angeles.
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