Author, filmmaker, and amusement park historian Jay Jennings is a Los Angeles native who grew up in the 1970s, spending his weekends at various Southern California amusement parks. After graduating from Beverly Hills High School, he attended Columbia College of Film, after which he embarked on a successful career as a writer-director. Jennings has also spent the last 25 years researching the history of Southern California amusement parks, with an emphasis on Knott's Berry Farm. In addition, he owns one of the largest collections of Knott's Berry Farm memorabilia in the country.
Title: From berry vines to the big time: Book chronicles Knott's
Berry Farm's 'early years'
Author: Michael Mello
Publisher: OC Register
Date: 8/27/09 A new book by theme park historian Jay Jennings shows
the old days at Knott's Berry Farm, pulling together hundreds of
photographs to tell the story of Walter and Cordelia Knott, and
their small roadside berry stand that grew into a famous
restaurant, and a park that is now one of California's best-known
attractions. "Knott's Berry Farm: The Early Years" begins with
photographs of Knott's Berry Farm founder Walter Knott's
grandparents and his family history. It ends more than 100 pages of
pictures later, with a portrait of Knott, noting how he lived in a
double-wide trailer on the theme park's grounds until his death in
1981. Jennings has a Web site he calls the Knott's Berry Farm
Museum, where he shows off an impressive collection of Knott's
memorabilia, which he says is one of the largest such collections
in the country. He is a native of Los Angeles and has been
researching the history of Southern California's theme parks for 25
years. During that time, he became good friends with members of the
Knott family and long-time Knott's Berry Farm employees. "I hope my
book brings back fond memories of when families visited Knott's
Berry Farm and Ghost Town and the sheer fun and joy of walking up
and down Main Street," Jennings said. "I also hope my book
entertains and educates." Trained in film during his college years,
Jennings has also put together this video about the park's history,
which includes rare footage. Knott's Berry Farm: The Early Years
retails for $21.99 and may also be purchased from Arcadia
Publishing.
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