Tag Archives: Venice Beach
Colorized postcard of the entrance Dragon Gorge roller coaster, Ocean Park, Los Angeles, circa 1912
In the 10+ years I’ve been posting daily photos of Hollywood/Los Angeles/Southern California, I’ve never even heard of the structure pictured in this postcard. This was the dramatic entrance to a roller coaster called the Dragon Gorge Scenic Railway, whose … Continue reading
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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Angelenos fill the beach with umbrellas rented from the Venice Bath House, Venice Beach, California, circa 1910s
It must have been a warm and sunny LA day sometime in the 1910s when this photo was taken of Venice Beach as there are beach umbrellas as far as we can see. Given how covered people were back then … Continue reading
A brightly lit Windward Avenue at night, Venice Beach, California, 1939
If ever a photo demanded to be a setting for a film noir, surely this is it. This is a 1939 shot looking down Windward Ave toward the Pacific Ocean from Pacific Ave in Venice Beach. I don’t think I … Continue reading
Aerial photograph of the part of Marina Del Ray known as Silver Strand, Los Angeles, February 4, 1959
Until I came across this aerial photo of Marina Del Ray, I’d never heard of a development called Silver Strand, which is what we are looking at here. It’s only 10 blocks long and 2 blocks wide, and stretches from … Continue reading
A double-decker bus transports passengers between Los Angeles and Venice, Southern California, 1914
Here we have an early example of the sort of double-decker motor coaches that were put into service to transport people between Los Angeles and Venice. Back in 1914, when this photo was taken, there was a lot of open, … Continue reading
A battleship-shaped food stand on Venice Pier, Venice, California, circa 1910s
I’m not sure why someone would think a battleship would make for an inviting food stand, but someone did as we can see in this circa 1910s photo taken on the Venice Pier. I think the sign says “FRESH FISH” … Continue reading
Looking northeast along Aldebaran Canal, Venice, California, 1911
In this genteel, almost pastoral photo, we’re looking northeast along Aldebaran Canal in Venice, California. Developer Abbot Kinney opened Venice in 1905; this image was taken six years later, in 1911. We can see that quite a few homes had … Continue reading
Color photo of a Pacific Electric streetcar rolling along the Venice Short Line, Los Angeles, 1945
I’ll take any excuse to post a color photo of a red Pacific Electric streetcar. This one was rolling along a route known as the “Venice Short Line” which went from downtown Los Angeles to the beach via Culver City. … Continue reading
Aerial shot of the original Abbot Kinney Amusement Pier, Venice Beach, California, circa 1920
Abbot Kinney, the man who conceived the huge “Venice of America” project on what we now know as simply “Venice Beach,” also built a vast amusement pier, which he opened in 1905. It featured an auditorium, dance pavilion, fun house, … Continue reading