On the Beach with a Burro! 12 Antique Real Photo Postcards (California)

Item Details

Long Beach, CA, 1911

Beautiful collection of real photo postcards featuring frolicking people on the beach in California, as well as seaside businesses. Five of the postcards are labeled Long Beach, California, 1911 on the back, while one is labeled Ocean Park, 1912.  Several shots are of special interest. One image shows a long-suffering burro being pulled and ridden by five young men. A related image depicts a business called Burro Studio, a known photographer (and the burro’s hangout!) in the background, next to a roller-skating rink. The third image depicts three men standing in front of a small bandstand featuring Donatelli’s Italian band, who toured the Southern California area beaches during the 1910s. The men are wearing similar bathing suits showing a star within a circle. This symbol is also seen in several of the other pictures and probably represents the branding of a bathhouse or beach club that rented the bathing suits to customers. Anyone else reminded of Dr. Seuss’ The Sneetches???

The other images show a variety of beachgoers, including women with similar star suits but theirs with skirts, and other businesses in the background. An amazing documentation of early California beach businesses and shenanigans.