Tag Archives: Santa Monica
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 California Incline under construction, Santa Monica Beach, Los Angeles 1934
The California Incline, a steeply angled road connecting Ocean Avenue to the Pacific Coast Highway, was first built in 1905. In the mid-1930s, construction on PCH meant that the Incline got an upgrade by widening the road and adding a … 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
Aerial view down Main Street after construction to widen the street, Santa Monica, California, 1930
Evidently, the city of Santa Monica decided to widen Main Street in 1930. What I don’t quite understand is what’s going on in this photo. It’s obviously wide enough now to accommodate angled parking on both sides and two lanes … Continue reading
Opening of the electric railway from Los Angeles to Santa Monica, April 1, 1896
In this photo we’re lucky enough to have had someone on hand with a camera, which I doubt would’ve have been too common in 1896. This scene shows us the April 1st opening of the electric railway from Los Angeles … 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
Fully dressed Angelenos enjoying the sun at Santa Monica Beach and pier, Los Angeles, 1880
I know that the people in this 1880 photo were Victorians with a very strong and rigid sense of propriety, but still, just the idea of spending the day sitting on Santa Monica Beach and strolling along the pier while … Continue reading
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.