WHY THIS PLACE? Around 1900, Hotel del Coronado co-owner Elisha Babcock Jr. established Tent City, a popular campground containing several hundred tents and cottages just south of the hotel. The group of vaudeville actors in this 1915 photo performed at Tent City, which was known for providing high-quality summer entertainment, and they clearly enjoyed their downtime on the beach. The modest (by today’s standards) bathing garments they’re wearing were common at the time.

Dorothy Haskins, the young sunbather being held aloft, was the daughter of one of the performers. She eventually donated the picture to the Coronado, California, hotel, and it’s now on display in the historic Power Plant on the property.

Tent City closed in the late 1930s. More information on this bygone community—including additional photos as well as a 3D model—is on view at The Del’s Ice House Museum. Learn more about the hotel's restoration in our feature story.