Santa Monica Bay: The first 100 years : a pictorial history of Santa Monica, Venice, Ocean Park, Pacific Palisades, Topanga, & Malibu

by Fred E. Basten

Today, the waters of the Santa Monica Bay are as placid, the curve of its shoreline as lovely, and the rise of its bluffs and mountains as imposing as when Juan Cabrillo and his men cast anchor centuries ago. From the “Bay of Smokes” to a verdant pasture, from a struggling village to an internationally famous playground, from a handful of isolated towns to a sprawling cosmopolitan complex – a thriving panorama so vast not even the Bakers, Joneses, Rindges, Kinneys, and other giants of the formative years could have imagined its equal, even in their finest hour. This book tells the story of that transformation in a series of unique and unforgettable photographs.

Genres: History

227 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

FRED E. BASTEN is the author of over thirty-five books including, “Glorious Technicolor: The Movies’ Magic Rainbow,” “Max Factor’s Hollywood,” and “Steve McQueen: the Final Chapter” (with Grady Ragsdale). He currently lives in Santa Monica, CA

Reviews

[Telyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of archival photographs. Most of the book is devoted to Santa Monica and Venice, there's only a handful of Malibu and Topanga images, but it's well worth tracking down for anyone interested in the history and development of the Southern California coast between Venice and Malibu. The only negative is that the quality of the printing is poor and it's hard to see the details in many images.

[Meghan Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful archive of early Santa Monica history that now, since having been compiled back in the 70s, serves as its own piece of history too. Outstanding imagery!

[Michael Heath-Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, well photographed, on the history of Santa Monica.