Imagine laying on Santa Monica beach one sunny day in 1940, soaking up the rays, maybe reading the funny papers, and along comes the Goodyear blimp from out of the clear blue skies looking as though it aims to set down on the sand next to your towel. You’d be glad you thought to throw your camera into your beach bag at the last minute.

Susan M. says: That building with the arched windows to the left of the blimp, was the old armory building that became an officers club during WWII and for a time after. By the late 50s, Synanon took it over. That was ‘the Synanon house on the beach,’ through out the 60s, prior to their moving into Casa del Mar. I went to some really fun dances when it was the officers club in that old armory.