Title supplied by cataloger. The Desert Inn was established in 1909 by village pioneers Dr. Harry Lee Coffman (1867-1935) and Nellie Norton Coffman (1867-1950), along with their two sons George Roberson, Jr. (Nellie's son from a previous marriage) and Owen Earl Coffman. The Desert Inn started as a sanitarium in the tiny, unincorporated town called Palm Springs, and was originally a place for those afflicted with tuberculosis. In 1914 Nellie decided a change was needed and she converted the business into a hotel. Dr. Harry was in disagreement and not at all happy with this decision, and he and Nellie eventually divorced. The good doctor soon left Palm Springs and practiced medicine in Coachella Valley, and later in San Diego County, where he passed away in 1935. During this time, the Desert Inn was becoming a world-renowned resort hotel catering to the very wealthy, which included well-known millionairs such as the Vanderbilt and Hearst families. Nellie and her sons continually added to the hotel property, and by 1927 a modern hotel had replaced the earlier structures, becoming a white-walled, Indian-Spanish inspired landmark complete with red-tiled roof and wide verandas of terra cotta, the gardens boasting of the best of desert flora. The Inn was run by Nellie and her sons for decades, and Nellie's ability, determination, and charm extended the resort's reputation which brought people from all over the world to this fine establishment. Nellie's love and charitable works for the community earned her the title of "Mother Coffman". The famed Desert Inn closed its doors in 1955 after Nellie's death, and was finally razed in 1967, making way for the Desert Fashion Shopping Plaza. View 25: Photograph shows actor George Raft, a possible guest of the Desert Inn, sitting at an outside patio having breakfast with an unidentified female companion. Raft (1895-1980) was an actor mostly portrayed as a ganster in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. His success came in "Scarface" and Raft's convincing portrayal led to speculation that he was a gangster. He died from leukemia at age 85 in Los Angeles on November 24, 1980.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;11 x 14 cm. on sheet 21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
Raft, George Desert Inn (Palm Springs, Calif.) Resorts--California--Palm Springs Deserts--California--Palm Springs Hotels--California--Palm Springs Motion picture actors and actresses--United States Coffman, Harry Lee Coffman, Nellie Norton Palm Springs (Calif.)
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