Discover Baja California Through Books: The Norman Christie Collection Comes to Loreto

Are you passionate about Baja California’s nature, scientific research, or rich history? Then this is for you!

📚 Event: Presentation of the Norman Christie Book Collection
📍 Location: Community Center of Loreto Bay
📅 Date: November 14th, 2025
🕐 Time: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

About the Collection

Norman Christie has spent decades exploring and studying the Baja California Peninsula. In doing so, he has amassed an extraordinary private library of nearly 3,000 titles — including original research papers from the California Academy of Sciences, historical works, magazines, and novels focused exclusively on Baja California.

Mr. Christie has generously donated this collection to the community of Loreto. The nonprofit organization Keep Loreto Magical (www.keeploretomagical.org) has helped catalog and organize the books in collaboration with the Teachers College of Loreto, which already boasts an impressive public library open to everyone.

Event Highlights

At this special presentation, visitors will have the chance to explore a selection of these rare and valuable materials — most of them in English — including:

Over 150 detailed maps of the Baja California Peninsula.
Identification guides on birds, reptiles, insects, freshwater and saltwater fish, mammals, butterflies, geology, flora, and fauna — all specific to Baja California.
Original and first editions dating back to the 1500s, 1600s, and 1800s.
Proceedings from the Symposiums of Science of the Baja California Peninsula (1968, 1972, 1978).
Accounts of expeditions across Baja by land, air, and sea — including travel by mule, kayak, sailboat, bicycle, and even coast-to-coast hikes!
The complete Dawson Book Collection, a landmark series of 51 volumes preserving rare and unpublished primary sources on Baja California’s history, exploration, and natural heritage.
Mr. Christie’s own annotated binders documenting his personal expeditions across the peninsula.

A Cultural Treasure for Loreto

As recognized by the Cultural Institute of Baja California Sur, no other library, bookstore, academic institution, or government archive in the state holds such a vast and specialized collection devoted solely to the Baja California Peninsula.

Later this year, the collection will find its permanent home at the Public Library of the Teachers College of Loreto, where it will remain accessible to researchers, students, and the public.

This remarkable donation is truly a treasure for the community — a gift that will inspire curiosity, learning, and exploration for generations to come.

Come and celebrate the spirit of discovery that defines Baja California. We look forward to seeing many enthusiastic readers and explorers at this special event!

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