When real estate developer Abbot Kinney conceived and built his “Venice of America” project in the opening years of the 20th century, he had a high-minded plan complete with canals. This photo is one of the better ones I’ve come across showing one of the gondolas and gondoliers that Kinney imported from the original Venice in Italy. It looks like that flag is the original American flag with 13 strips and circle of stars. I do hope those proper Victorian ladies didn’t have too much trouble getting in and out of that gondola in their corsets, big hats, and floor-length skirts.
Sailing a gondola on the Venice Lagoon, Venice Beach, California, circa early 1900s
This is the Venice Lagoon, which is now a paved Windward Circle where Robert Graham’s bold black sculpture stands….Man, those dresses are so 19th century!
Also immediately knew it was the Venice Lagoon by the wide expanse of water. To think, looking at the photo, all man-made. Hope the ladies getting into the gondolas didn’t inflame Victorian men’s passions by flashing their oh-so-sexy…. ankles! Didn’t know of the Graham sculpture. Most fitting as he resided in Venice with wife Angelica Huston before his death.
Kinney was a true Angeleno. He knew he could build anything here and people would love it.
We need more people like him today.