Figure 1.4.  Views of the Grand Strand before and after high-density oceanfront development.  (A) Picture postcard of Myrtle Beach Pavilion area with boardwalk and small structures behind a natural dune.  Photograph taken by W. C. Johnson around 1927 (published by permission of the Lake County (IL) Discovery Museum, Curt Teich Postcard Archives).  (B) Picture postcard of the Crescent Beach and Ocean Drive Beach sections of North Myrtle Beach around 1955 (published by permission of the South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina–Columbia).  During this period, single-family cottages represented most of the development and, although structures did stand close to the shoreline, the integrity of primary coastal dunes was preserved.  (C) Photograph of oceanfront along the downtown section of Myrtle Beach around 2000 (published by permission of the Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau). High-rise condominiums and hotels now dominate development along the Grand Strand.  In many areas, structures stand directly adjacent to the beach and frontal dunes are absent. [Click here for high-resolution image.]

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