New Spring Exhibit Traces Development of Irvine

The Libraries' spring exhibit, Irvine: the Vision, the Plan, the Promise, chronicles the origins and development of three community pillars: the city of Irvine, The Irvine Company, and the University of California Irvine; and how each played a key role in the evolution of Irvine into a nationally recognized model community. The May 11, 2011 opening night event featured a talk titled, "Reflections on Irvine at 40" by UCI's Daniel G. Aldrich, III and Irvine Councilman Larry Agran. A special tribute to Ray Watson was made during the program.

In the early 1960's, noted architect William L. Pereira joined with Raymond L. Watson, a visionary chief planner for the Irvine Company, to craft the master plan that led to a new community on Irvine Ranch property. Materials in the exhibit provide context for how the plans and promises for a new city became a reality. Artifacts and planning documents from the Libraries' Orange County collection and papers from the Raymond L. Watson archive are on display, as well as original brochures, advertisements, and images of the undeveloped site. The exhibit begins with the 1959 William L. Pereira and Associates report and concludes with the incorporation of Irvine in 1971.

Yvonne Wilson, UCI Research Librarian for California and Orange County Government Information, is the curator.

For more information, please contact Yvonne Wilson, Research Librarian for, Drama, California, and Orange County (ywilson@uci.edu, x47362).