The UC Irvine Libraries celebrated the opening of the “Crystal Cove and the California Dream” exhibit, which is located on the second floor of the Langson Library from November 2026 to March 2027. Guests met at the Crystal Cove Auditorium, before moving to the Langson Library for an exhibit tour and reception on Oct 28.
Conservationist, community leader and creator of UC Irvine Libraries’ Crystal Cove Historical Archive Laura Davick was the guest speaker at the exhibit’s opening. She discussed her experiences at Crystal Cove, what inspired her to create a historical archive of the area’s history and her advice for future generations working to support a cause or protect their communities.
Davick donated her archive to the UC Irvine libraries in 2019 for curators to look through.
Research Librarian for Student Success and Humanities and one of the five curators, Nicole Arnold, interviewed Davick during a fireside chat at the opening. Arnold felt inspired by Davick’s passion for preserving Crystal Cove’s history and legacy.
“Laura had the option to do other things, but she decided to dedicate her life to this,” Arnold told New University. “I think that’s such a beautiful cause, and it says a lot about her and a lot about the people that she works with that they took up this cause to make sure Crystal Cove exists for the future and that its past is preserved.”
Arnold, with the four other curators, helped put together the “Crystal Cove and the California Dream” exhibit. She helped find photos, letters and clips from Davick’s archive and the Orange County Regional History Collection that would appeal to visitors — including movie clips filmed at Crystal Cove and photos of cottages available to rent in the area.
“The sheer amount of archival material to go through — it’s a lot,” Arnold said. “I mean, but for me, it’s not necessarily a challenge because I enjoy it.”
The exhibit also included bottles from the Prohibition era that were found at Crystal Cove State Beach, a painting of a martini pitcher and a flag from the Beachcomber restaurant that was provided by a UCI staff member.
Director of Communicators and one of the curators Cheryl Baltes enjoyed looking at a mural based on a historical photo of a Japanese American farm stand. A local Girl Scout who attended the exhibit opening painted the mural.
“She had finished painting that mural three weeks before we did our tour,” Baltes told New University.
Baltes was responsible for creating a timeline for the exhibit, which focuses on the history of Crystal Cove and California’s coastal access.
“It also includes things that were happening in the state of California, like the formation of California state parks, and you know there was some advocacy statewide happening and trying to preserve coastal access,” Baltes said.
The state signed a 60-year contract in 1997 to transform cottages in Crystal Cove into a luxury resort. Arnold said her goal for this exhibit was to capture local history that goes beyond the rich and famous individuals who lived in Crystal Cove.
“History can’t just be about rich famous people. It needs to be about your everyday person,” Arnold said. “It’s a history of people that lived in tents. It’s a history of immigrants. It’s a history of criminals.”
Arnold said she also aims to show students that people across generations share similar experiences.
“People still have friends and families. They still have struggles. You know, they still have the same hopes and dreams a lot of the time,” Arnold said.
Baltes said that Davick’s story of advocacy serves as a reminder that anyone, regardless of background or experience, can fight for what they are passionate about.
“You don’t have to be an archivist,” Baltes said. “If you have something in your own community that you want to protect and preserve, you can do it.”
Melody Liao is a Features Staff Writer. She can be reached at liaome@uci.edu.
Edited by Aditya Biswas and Tracy Sandoval.
