Tag Archives: Santa Monica
Aerial photo of Ocean Park Pier, Santa Monica, California, 1930
This aerial photo gives us a rather spectacular view of the Ocean Park Pier in Santa Monica in 1930, four years after it opened. It had two big roller coasters on each side, plus a tower with what looks like … Continue reading
A glossary of California Place Names” from “The Romantic Road to California’s Yesterdays” published by the California Rotogravure Corp, circa 1929
In case you’ve ever wondered, as I have, where some Californian place names originated, here is a couple of pages from “The Romantic Road to California’s Yesterdays” which was a book was published by the California Rotogravure Corp in around … Continue reading
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Tagged California, California missions, Los Angeles, Santa Monica
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Fireworks over Santa Monica Bay, Santa Monica, California, 1928
I don’t know what was being celebrated on this night in 1928 when fireworks filled the skies over Santa Monica Bay, but it must have been a glorious sight to see in person.
A lone motorist drives along the Santa Monica coastline, Santa Monica, California, circa 1915
The caption on this photo read “Twenty-Five Mile Ocean Drive, Santa Monica” but Ocean Dr is only a few miles long and it doesn’t hug the Santa Monica coastline like the road in this photo does. So I’m guessing it … Continue reading
Santa Monica Air Line, a Pacific Electric streetcar that shuttled people between downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica, circa 1909
This natty group of Angelenos was photographed beside a Pacific Electric streetcar on what was known as the Santa Monica Air Line, which was took people from the Pacific Electric Building at Sixth and Main Streets in downtown Los Angeles, … 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
The Penguin Coffee Shop, 1670 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, California, circa 1959
Sadly, we have precious few Googie-inspired coffee shops left intact around Los Angeles these days, but fortunately we do have photos of many of them in their prime. The Penguin Coffee Shop opened at 1670 Lincoln Blvd in Santa Monica … Continue reading
Angelenos dot the beach in front of the Moorish-style Ocean Park Bath House at Ocean Park, Santa Monica, circa 1910
Los Angeles is a city of eclectic architecture, but this one sure takes the prize. It’s the bath house at Ocean Park, which is the beach sandwiched between Santa Monica and Venice. I don’t know who chose to build it … 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
Looking north along the Pacific Coast Highway, Santa Monica Beach, 1948
Imagine, if you will, taking a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway that parallels Santa Monica Beach. Now imagine that it’s 1948 and this is how clear the road is. I’ve lived in Los Angeles for 25 years and have … Continue reading