Author and anthropologist Jay Ruby recently published “The Property: Malibu’s Other Colony” — an ethnohistorical study on an artist colony that was once located on 132 acres in Malibu.
The book centers on the evolution of the colony, which was founded in 1962 by aspiring screenwriters John Wilder and Jerry Ziegman. Ziegman’s initial intention was to use the colony as a weekend retreat for relaxing and partying, but he eventually began renting spaces to artists who needed an inexpensive place to work and live, in line with his belief that creativity was insufficiently rewarded.
Artists lived at the property for the next 31 years, including writers, painters, weavers and photographers, and they were allowed to stay indefinitely and bring their families. The colony was destroyed by the Malibu fire in 1993, but many of its residents returned annually to visit its ruins.
Ruby is an emeritus professor of Anthropology who has conducted research about archaeology, rock and roll, American cultures, and visual anthropology for the past 50 years. He has written or co-authored over 12 books, 90 scholarly articles and several documentary films.
“The Property: Malibu’s Other Colony” can be ordered online at amazon.com.