Nan and Elmer Carlson Collection of the Malibou Lake Mountain Club

The Malibou Lake Mountain Club is a private, member-owned community founded in 1922 and located in the Santa Monica Mountains. Nan and Elmer Carlson moved to Malibou Lake in 1970, and quickly became active members in the community. Elmer joined the Board of Directors in 1972, and served two terms as Board President from 1981-1983. The Carlsons and their children were also enthusiastic members of the Malibou Lake Sailing Club. Nan developed an interest in the history of Malibou Lake, and what started as curiosity about the history of the Carlsons' cabin (one of the first built in the 1920s) grew to encompass both the Malibou Lake Mountain Club and its surrounding region. As Nan researched and collected materials from the club’s past, she became the club’s semi-official historian, serving as chair of the History Committee, and creating a booklet to celebrate the club’s 60th anniversary. Nan reached out to other members, both current and former, asking for their stories and related materials. She collected newspaper clippings, bulletins, president’s reports, memorabilia, photographs, and anything else she considered relevant. Perhaps most importantly, Nan sought to dispel some of the myths that had spread about the club’s origin, specifically that it had been founded by Cecil B. DeMille and other Hollywood celebrities. Nan continued to collect club materials until she moved from Malibou Lake in 2011. Her collection complements and provides social context for the more business-related documents found in the Malibou Lake Mountain Club Records.