“Delightfully unfettered by convention” pretty much sums up Neal Graffy’s approach to history. Whether it be in print, radio, television, documentary or live, his audiences always find his presentations to be entertaining, fun, and still educational.

Neal first gave voice to history in 1989 when he premiered a slide show talk on Santa Barbara History. Encouraged by the response, more talks were developed; and currently there are twenty different topics that have been presented in well over 300 shows.

Expanding from solo presentations, Graffy has had numerous appearances on local, state and national radio and TV including Huell Howser's California Gold, KCET TV's Life and Times and nationally on This Old House. He has been featured in several documentaries including the Emmy Award winning Impressions in Time.

He has authored numerous monographs for historical organizations, as well as articles in regional and national publications. His two previous books are Street Names of Santa Barbara and Historic Santa Barbara.

Neal has served as a board member of the Sana Barbara Historical Museum,  member (and chairman) of the Santa Barbara County Landmarks Commission, board member of the Mission Canyon Association, and president of the Santa Barbara Corral of Westerners. He is, also, a founding member of de la Guerra y Pacheco Chapter 1.5 of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus and an exNoble Grand Humbug of that esteemed organization.

For fun, he collects Santa Barbara memorabilia, postcards, photographs, plays guitar, enjoys cruising around town in an unrestored 1941 Packard 180 limousine and continues the never-ending search for the perfect bacon burger.