These days, the Santa Monica pier is filled mostly with amusement park games and a big arcade of games. But back in 1936, when this photo was taken, the big draw was the La Monica Ballroom whose dance floor was soon big it could hold up to 5,000 people dancing the night away to live big band music. And it had a good run, too, opening in 1924 and lasting until 1963. And in the bottom right corner we can see the Deauville Beach Club, which had opened in 1927.
Looking along the Santa Monica pier to the huge La Monica Ballroom, Santa Monica Beach, California, 1936
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Thank you for finding this lovely photograph, I had heard about the ballroom but never saw a photo. I recall that my Dad was a professional violinist who played in the ballroom orchestra. And, in 1935, that is where he met my Mom!
What a perfect photo for you to find. Maybe your dad was playing inside La Monica when this photo was taken!
Great photo. Can anyone tell if that’s a cargo ship or military off the coast?
I wondered about that too. It looks like the US Navy to me.
I am far from an expert but to me it looks like a Lexington-class aircraft carrier. These were built in the 1920s