Tag Archives: Santa Monica pier
Aerial view showing four pleasure piers – Santa Monica Pier, Crystal Pier, Ocean Park Pier, Venice Pier, Los Angeles, circa 1930s
In the 1930s, pleasure-seeking Angelenos certainly weren’t starved for choice when looking for some beachside fun. This aerial shot shows four “pleasure piers” built one next to the other. From the top down, there’s the Santa Monica Pier, Crystal Pier, … Continue reading
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Tagged Aerial photographs, Beaches, Santa Monica, Santa Monica pier, Venice Beach
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Looking along the Santa Monica pier past the Blue Streak Racer roller coaster and the Looff Hippodrome, Santa Monica, California, circa 1922
In this circa 1922 photo, we’re looking along the Santa Monica pier from the shoreline out toward the Pacific. It looks like there was plenty of diversion for Angelenos. The ornate building with the cupola was (and still is) the … Continue reading
Atmospheric night shot looking from the Santa Monica bluffs south along the beach toward the pier, Santa Monica, California, 1929
I couldn’t find much information about this atmospheric photo. What I could glean is that we’re perched atop the bluffs overlooking Santa Monica beach facing south along the beach toward the pier. That’s the constellation of bright lights in the … Continue reading
Vista Tea Room building by the Santa Monica pier, Santa Monica Beach, California, circa 1920s
The building housing the Vista Tea Room by the Santa Monica pier looks to be very interesting. It has cute, decorative balconies, so I’d say the upper floors were a hotel. I love the sign opposite: Over The Waves Lunch … Continue reading
Aerial photo of the Santa Monica pier, Santa Monica Beach, Los Angeles, 1924
Here we have an aerial photo of the Santa Monica pier from 1924. We can see the Looff Hippodrome. Built in 1916, it’s that square building with the tower. It houses the Looff’s carousel and is still there. Meanwhile, the … Continue reading
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Tagged Aerial photographs, Beaches, Santa Monica, Santa Monica pier
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Looking along the Santa Monica pier to the huge La Monica Ballroom, Santa Monica Beach, California, 1936
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 … Continue reading
The Santa Monica Pier opens to the public on “Pier Day,” September 9, 1909
The pier on Santa Monica beach has had several incarnations over the years—mostly because piers would all too often catch fire—but this photo goes back to the day when the first one (that is to say the first concrete one … Continue reading
Crowds line up for the Catalina Steamer on Santa Monica pier, Santa Monica, 1936
Yesterday, I was researching the cavernous La Monica Ballroom on Santa Monica pier (that’s the place with the ten turrets in the background) when I came across this photo. That’s when I learned that there was something called the Catalina … Continue reading
Santa Monica celebrates “Pier Day” when the US Navy’s Atlantic fleet arrives, September 9, 1909
Santa Monica pier, which looks nothing like this today, celebrated “Pier Day” when the US Navy’s Atlantic fleet parked itself off the Los Angeles coast on September 9, 1909. They certainly got a decent turn-out. And it would have been … Continue reading
Looking along the Santa Monica pier, Santa Monica, California, 1924
The piers along Santa Monica and Venice beaches in California have taken on several incarnations during the past 150 years (due to the vagaries of weather, fire, technology, trends) so it can be hard sometimes to tell one from the … Continue reading