MARINA DEL REY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 7 PM
Marina del Rey Historical Society Speaker Series presents
“A History: Marina del Rey, Venice, The Argonaut, and Beyond Baroque,” with George Drury Smith.
Founder of Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center, founding publisher of Beyond Baroque magazine, and former associate publisher, copy editor, and CFO of The Argonaut, George Drury Smith presents an early history of the area, Venice literary scene, emergence of Marina del Rey, how David Asper Johnson forges The Argonaut’s role in the community, expansion of Marina del Rey, persisting local issues, and more.
At Burton Chace Park Community Room, 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey, CA 90292. Doors open 6:30 pm. Admission $5, or FREE for MDRHS members. Parking: $6 in County Lots 77 and 4; Metered parking in the park is free on weekdays but restricted to 90 minutes. Info & RSVP: 424-391-6976 or via email marinahistorical@gmail.com
MARINA DEL REY HISTORY PHOTO EXHIBIT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
An ongoing photo exhibit of Marina del Rey’s history is on display at the Marina del Rey Historical Society Gallery.
Hours: Noon to 4pm, Tuesday through Sunday.
The Galley is located at Fisherman’s Village. 13737 Fiji Way, Suite C-3, Marina del Rey, CA 90292. FREE admission. 2 hours free parking with validation, no purchase necessary. Information, 424-391-6976
MARINA DEL REY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
THIS MONTH’S FEATURED IMAGES
The Marina del Rey Historical Society is a 501(3)(c) California nonprofit organization
NEWS – EVENTS – MORE
Marina del Rey Historical Society is on a Mission
Abbot Kinney would have been impressed! Spanning more than a century, various plans for a commercial port in the Venice-Playa del Rey area led to the creation of a world-class manmade recreational harbor. Marina del Rey’s construction required federal, state and...
read moreA letter from Marina del Rey Historical Society President HOWARD WENGER | January 2020
Marina del Rey Historical Society 13737 Fiji Way, C-3 [Fisherman's Village] Marina del Rey, CA 90292 Dear Members, Friends, and Archivists, A very Happy New Year to all of you. It's a very exciting time at the Marina del Rey Historical Society as we not only begin a...
read moreSpeaker Series | February 6, 2020
“A History: Marina del Rey, Venice, The Argonaut, and Beyond Baroque,” with George Drury Smith, will be presented by Marina del Rey Historical Society Speaker Series on Thursday, February 6, at 7 pm. The event will be at Burton Chace Park Community Room, 13650...
read moreLA’s MarinaFest Boat Show | June 20-21, 2020
June 20-21, 2020 The annual LA's MarinaFest Boat Show 2020 will be on Saturday and Sunday, June 20 and 21. MarinaFest includes an in-water boat show, harbor tours, food, music, booths, and tall ships. The event takes place at Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way,...
read moreMarina del Rey History Exhibit | Ongoing
An ongoing exhibit of Marina del Rey history, including more than 100 years of historical photos, DVD presentation, books, memorabilia, gifts, is on display at Marina del Rey Historical Society's History Gallery, located in Fisherman’s Village, just steps from the...
read more“Old Fashioned Day in the Park” presents vintage yachts and classic cars | July 26, 2020
Classic Yacht Association's 44th annual classic vintage yacht and car show, "Old Fashioned Day in the Park", will take place on Sunday, July 26, 2020, at Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey CA 90292. Show hours are 10am to 3pm. Information:...
read moreMARINA DEL REY HISTORY SLIDE SHOWS FROM OUR COLLECTION:
Click on any image to launch a slide show with more information per image
Venice beach on the left, the future site of Playa Vista along Ballona Creek, and current Playa del Rey on the right
Marina del Rey
The name Marina del Rey first appears in a 1938 Feasibility Study
The name Marina del Rey
1964 Westways Magazine details the history of the area soon to be Marina del Rey
1964 Westways Magazine
More of the article from Westways Magazine January 1964
More from Westways
Overlay of a 1923 map of the future Marina del Rey
Overlay of a 1923 map
A hunter and his dogs huntng ducks in the 1880s Centinela Creek
1880s Centinela Creek
Venice Peninsula Oilfields in the 1930s. Flooded farmlands were tilled to promote drainage and grow crops.
Venice Peninsula Oilfields 1930s
1937 shot of Ballona Creek as an enclosed flood control channel
1937 shot of Ballona Creek
1938 The Venice Peninsula and future Marina del Rey
1938 The Venice Peninsula
December 11, 1957: Marina del Rey Dedication and Ground Breaking
1957: Marina del Rey Dedication and Ground Breaking
Marina del Rey begins with construction of the North and South Jetties
North and South Jetties
1959: Last views of the swamp prior to the harbor construction
1959: Last views of the swamp
1967 Seawall construction showing oil derricks on Venice Peninsula in the background.
1967: Seawall construction
Highway 1 still runs along the beachfront as the Main Channel is dredged. It will soon be routed around the harbor.
Highway 1
Dredging of the Main Channel & Basin A
Dredging of the Main Channel
Basins A, B, C & D Emerge
Basins A, B, C, & D
1961: Dredging of Basins D & E. Outlines of Basins F,G, & H in foreground.
1961: Dredging
Fuel dock is the first construction on Bora Bora Way.
Fuel dock
United States Coast Guard Station Marina del Rey under construction. Families drove on empty streets to get to the Pieces of Eight Restaurant where a “peg leg pirate” met you at the door.
USCG Station
1963: Fiji Way development
1963: Fiji Way
Villa del Mar Marina in 1963. Without the docks built out the boaters have the kind of room sailors wish they had today!
Villa del Mar Marina
“The Surge” in 1963 – Dinghy magazine story
1963 Dinghy magazine story
Pieces of Eight Restaurant (now Whiskey Red’s) Storm Damage from the 1963 Surge
Storm Damage
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers construct a scale model of Marina del Rey to study wave action after “The Surge”
Scale model of MdR
Temporary Baffles were build in the Marina in 1963 to protect the harbor from further storm damage. Businesses came back and boats went back in the water.
Temporary Baffles 1963
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter CG 82338 near the baffles
CG 82338
1963 Breakwater construction. Shows a great view of the actual wave action.
1963 Breakwater construction
The breakwater protection allowed the development of land “moles” and marinas to continue
The breakwater
1965 Map of Marina del Rey shows the Breakwater in place
1965 Map of Marina del Rey
Hughes Aircraft complex with the Pacific Electric Railway (the white arrow) running along a path that would be great to have today to mitigate traffic.
Hughes Aircraft
Just up the street from all the construction, the infamous Spruce Goose was build by Howard Hughes in 1944
Spruce Goose in 1944
Charlie Brown’s Restaurant (now Tony P’s) bordered by Admiralty Way in 1965
Charlie Brown’s Restaurant
1Congressman Roosevelt © attends the groundbreaking of Neptune Marina in 1965
Groundbreaking of Neptune Marina
California Yacht Club’s REAL Opening Day 1966
California Yacht Club
1969 Fisherman’s Village under construction. The frame of the Marina del Rey “lighthouse” protrudes into its space
1969 Fisherman’s Village
Warehouse Restaurant under construction even as CYC dinghys sit in the club’s mast up storage.
Warehouse Restaurant
Cyrano’s Restaurant under construction. The 2 story building down the street is South Coast Corinthian Yacht club. Its hungry sailors enjoyed the wafts of garlic dinners in the afternoons from Cyranos.
Cyrano’s Restaurant
Marina City Club’s first tower and footprint of two more. The walkway along the water leads to Mother’s Beach.
Marina City Club
MdR’s Mother’s Beach with volleyball nets, picnic and playground full of visitors
MdR’s Mother’s Beach
Ground breaking of Burton Chace Park, August 22, 1972. (from the left) Supervisor Burton Chace, Aubrey Austin, Art Will & Victor Adorian
Ground breaking – Burton Chace Park
Burton Chace Park under construction
Burton Chace Park
The Helmsman, donated to Burton Chace Park by the Helms Bakery. A beautiful wooden ship’s wheel is a favorite for climbing!
The Helmsman statue
Miss Marina del Rey & Court, 1967
Miss Marina del Rey & Court
Sally Field as the “Flying Nun”
Marina del Rey has always been a favorite background for Hollywood. Here is Sally Field as the “Flying Nun” shot in the Marina
Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra in Marina del Rey’s Main Channel shooting a 1966 movie Assault on a Queen
Jacques Cousteau
Oceanography’s favorite star, Jacques Cousteau, in Marina del Rey in 1965
The north-south commute along Highway 1 is diverted until this guy had an idea…
Commute along Highway 1 is Diverted
Marina’s “DooDah” Parade
Marina’s “DooDah” Parade
Tall Ships come into the Marina to celebrate special occasions. On this day, a very new Cal 20 sails by.
Tall Ships
The Holiday Boat Parade has been the second Saturday in December annually since 1963
The Holiday Boat Parade
Marina del Rey celebrated 50 years in April 2015 with three days of events
Marina del Rey celebrated 50 years
Special Events for the Marina’s 50th Birthday Celebration including a harbor tour sponsored by the Marina del Rey Historical Society
Special Events
Tall Ships provided harbor tours
Tall Ships
The brig Irving Johnson and Topsail Schooner Amazing Grace provided a mock battle thrilling all in the area
Irving Johnson & Amazing Grace
The Official Dedication Bronze
The Official Dedication Bronze
Today Marina del Rey is still the largest man-made recreational marina in the nation
Marina del Rey
Presented By: The Marina del Rey Historical Society
The Marina del Rey Historical Society
All photographs courtesy of the Marina del Rey Historical Society. All images are © MdRHS 2016
All photographs courtesy MdRHS
MARINA DEL REY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Donate your Marina del Rey area photos, documents, and history
The Marina del Rey Historical Society (MdRHS) was founded to collect and preserve historical documents, artifacts, publications, photographs, data and information relating to the development of Marina del Rey as exhibits and in retrievable electronic databases in order to keep the past alive for community pride and to create a unique resource of cultural and educational materials of historic value. Since our collection is electronically filed, personal contributions (photographs, printed material, documents, etc.) can be scanned to our files and the originals returned to the donor. Credit for the contribution will be listed and included in the captions.
Special fundraising for archival equipment and materials
The Society has started a fund raising campaign for equipment and materials to archive and preserve this artifact collection. If you have lived, sailed, raced, or biked in Marina del Rey… THIS IS YOUR HISTORY TOO! Please consider any donation amount so that the Society can move forward with building a researchable digital collection of our materials while preserving the originals for future generations.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE specifically to the archive fund
The Marina del Rey Historical Society
is a 501(3)(c) California nonprofit organization
The Society is also looking for in-kind donations, including:
slide scanner • photo scanners • high end Windows computers [newer Intel i7 with Windows 10, at least 12 GB RAM, 3TB+ internal hard drive] • 5TB+ external hard drives • Local Network Storage solution • USB cables • HDMI cables • Large high definition computer monitors • archive quality slide sleeves • archive quality photo sleeves (all sizes) • fireproof filing cabinets • digital projector • PA system