San Francisco's Playland at the Beach: The Early Years

by James R. Smith

Presenting many rare photographs of Playland at the Beach and the surrounding neighborhood--including previously unpublished photographs from the private archive of ride designer Laurence Hollings--this collection contains a comprehensive photographic record of the enthralling amusement park from its construction in 1920 through its glorious heyday in the 1930s and 1940s. Each of Playland's famous rides receives its own chapter--including the Hippodrome Merry-Go-Round, the Merry Mix-Up, and Rocket Speedway--with photographs showing both how the rides were built and how they looked in their prime. Painstakingly researched, this book also includes chapters on the pioneering park's attractions, arcade amusements, restaurants, and nightclubs, along with incidental photographs depicting the clothes, cars, people, and customs of the era. Describing the fun sights, sounds, and flavors, this little-known history gives readers an enchanting vision of a glamorous and care-free time.

152 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2010

About the author

California historian James R. Smith is the author of San Francisco’s Lost Landmarks as well as a number of historical articles. A well-respected authority on California history, he has spent years chronicling the stories of San Francisco and the California Gold Country. Smith is a frequent lecturer and discussion leader at universities, historical societies, libraries and bookstores.
A member of the California Historical Society, the San Francisco History Association, the San Francisco Museum & Historical Society and the Library Fund at the University of California, Berkeley, Smith is active in the preservation and promotion of history and historical lore.
Smith is a fourth-generation native of San Francisco and a sixth-generation Californian.

Reviews

[Charles Markee · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teen living in San Francisco, there was no better way for me to escape the humdrum of life than to escape into the fantasy of Playland at the Beach. I could hardly contain my mounting excitement during the long streetcar ride out to the beach terminus. Once there, I immersed myself in the thrill rides, the games, the noise and energy of the place.

All of this came back to me as I thumbed through this fascinating photo-documentary of our local landmark amusement park. Jim Smith has captured the history of the place by piecing together this photo-history of its genesis as a construction project, its ever-changing arcade and its ultimate demise. I could close my eyes for a second and recall the wonderful fear of the Big Dipper as well as the shower I anticipated flying down the Chutes. It was part of our culture, growing up in The City.

As an adult, possibly even now an elder, I can now appreciate the collection of this detail for its value in understanding what creates fun. Those entrepreneurs knew what was exciting, what could launch me from San Francisco news boy into make believe astronaut, even though the word was not yet in everyday language. I also reveled in the photos of people now long gone, but then dressed up for the occasion in their finest—a much different time.

I appreciated the photos of phases of construction that revealed the skeletons beneath the rides, each an engineering feat and each the substance beneath the fantasy. Whether this book would go on your coffee table or into the history section of your library, I enthusiastically recommend it.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I wrote this book, I'm biased. However, I'd suggest it's a must read for any San Franciscan or amusement park aficionado. Per my publisher . . .

The first definitive photographic record of one of America’s best loved amusement parks. Illustrated with 250 rare photographs (including many never-before-seen photos from the collections of Playland luminaries Arthur Looff, John Friedle and George Whitney), the book documents Playland’s history from its earliest construction though its heyday in the 1920s–1940s.
A richly illustrated time-machine fun ride through Playland’s glory days.

It will release on November 5, 2010 at the Playland Not-at-the-Beach museum in El Cerrito, CA and will be available throught California and online via Amazon.com. Please support your independent bookseller when you can.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing is meh, pictures are awesome.