18 Cards of HEARST CASTLE: San Simeon State Historical Monument
very small postcards 3 3/8" wide x 2 1/4" high 
Reverse has "Addressee" section and history of the room depicted in the photo 
Cards have coloring similar to Kodachrome photographs with bright yellows & blues 
Sold in plastic sleeves to preserve the cards. In excellent condition with no writing or marks.
 
History: 
Of all the places celebrities partied during Hollywood's Golden Age, one of the most popular was more than four hours north of Tinseltown. Movie stars and others among Hollywood's most famous often attended parties at Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA, owned by publishing mogul William Randolph Hearst.While Hearst's enormous hillside estate may have inspired the somber epic Citizen Kane, what went on behind the walls of the real castle had a more playful and fun tone - at least until Hearst ran out of money.
 
Born in 1863 to parents made wealthy from mining, Hearst built his empire by first taking over the San Francisco Examiner newspaper. Eventually, Hearst bought newspapers across the country, making him one of the wealthiest Americans of the time. One of the mogul's biggest hobbies involved the new industry of moving pictures, and Hearst befriended many of the burgeoning film stars - Hollywood's elite - inviting them to visit Hearst Castle throughout the 1920s and '30s.
 
In a rather unexpected celebrity will, Hearst bequeathed his property to his long-time mistress when he died in 1951, but she ultimately returned it to his family. Today, the California State Park system owns the estate and allows public visitors to share in the secrets and shenanigans of Hearst Castle history.
 
Hearst Castle became known for its costume parties, with themes carefully picked by William Randolph Hearst. He even selected costumes for his guests, and paid seamstresses and tailors to create the garments by hand. One party's theme of dressing up like favorite movie stars caused celebrities to swap identities for an evening. Another party invited attendees to dress like children, and the "Your Favorite Character from History" party led Charlie Chaplin to dress up as Napoleon Bonaparte.
 
The locations for the parties often included a 110-room house on the beach, which Hearst built for Marion Davies. The couple used the house to throw Hearst a huge, circus-themed birthday bash when he turned 75. Bette Davis came as a bearded lady and mingled with 2,000 other invited celebrities, such as Clark Gable and Gloria Swanson. The party also featured a full-sized merry-go-round, which required a wall be torn down for it to fit.