Browse Items (2126 total)

Topanga Creek passes nasturtium flowers in Lower Topanga

2024-05-29 facebook Gps Art 2 ps.jpg
Topanga Creek passes nasturtium flowers, a wrecked car, and a fallen brick stairway in Lower Topanga.

Pine Tree Circle and Old Topanga Canyon

img036 ps.jpg
Pine Tree Circle and Old Topanga Canyon. The structure at bottom center is the Topanga Post Office and General Store.

Red Rock Canyon

1_4_8x10 crop.jpg
Iron oxide turns the Lower Sespe conglomerate in Red Rock Canyon to rust.

Water tank in the shape of a milk bottle

4_E5 crop.jpg
Thomas W. ("Bill") Kneen built this water tank on Red Rock Road in the shape of a milk bottle in the 1930s.

Fuchsia-flowered gooseberry flowers

1_21_8x10 crop.jpg
Fuchsia-flowered gooseberry flowers (Ribes specidsum saxifragaceae)

Saxifragaceae and Chaparral Currant

PF 2,5 Vegetation 005 crop w.jpg
Saxifragaceae and Chaparral Currant (Ribes malvaceum var. viridifolium) plants.

Chevy Metal

14_79.jpg
The Chevy Metal band at Abuelitas restaurant: Taylor Hawkins (also in the Foo Fighters), Achim "Dange" St. Dangersfield, and Wiley Hodgden.

A Nike missile stalls on its way to the Strawberry Festival

1963-07-04 Nike Missile - TJ ps.jpg
A Nike Hercules anti-missile missile was stalled for several hours at the first turn up to the Community House, on its way to the Strawberry Festival. Vance Hoyt gives a helpful push.

A boulder fell on Topanga Canyon Blvd.

12_41.jpg
A boulder fell on Topanga Canyon Blvd. after heavy rains on January 9, 2005. Pictures of this "rock star" appeared in the news around the world.

Heidi Staun and her children at their Topangster Ranch

IMG_7011 w.jpg
Heidi Staun and her family sit on a Land Rover car at their Topangster Ranch in Old Topanga Canyon.

BACK ROW:
Noble Staun , Heidi Staun, Sage Staun
FRONT ROW:
Evita Staun, Beau Staun, Soleil Staun

"Thank you" sign for Firefighters

12_27B crop.jpg
"Thank you" sign for 1993 firefighters.

Siblings Joey, Felix, Nicky, and Liza Saenz row a boat

2021-02-19 facebook C Annette Smith (1) ps 1 w.jpg
Siblings Joey, Felix, Nicky, and Liza Saenz row a rowboat on the sand in front of their Topanga Beach house.

Topanga Bombers group photo, 1/3

2021-02-19 facebook C Annette Smith (4) ps 1 w.jpg
Topanga Bombers surf club members pile on top of each other at Topanga Beach.

Juan de la Cruz Saenz screams. Bart "Box" Loy stands in front. Chuck Gates and Micky Mills are behind them. John Roberts presses down Denny "Wally" Waldman's head.

Topanga Bombers group photo, 2/3

2021-03-05 facebook C Annette Smith (2) w.jpg
Topanga Bombers surf club members goof off at Topanga Beach.

Danny Bernstein (cut off on the left side), Denny "Wally" Waldman, Bart "Box" Loy (unknown person behind him), Juan de la Cruz Saenz, Woody Woodward, John Roberts grabbing Michael…

Topanga Bombers group photo, 3/3

The Bombers ps 2 w.jpg
Topanga Bombers surf club members flex their muscles at Topanga Beach.

Pete Stein, Chuck Gates, Unknown, Nicky Saenz in front, Denny "Wally" Waldman, Eddie Saenz (lying down), Bart Loy, Timmy Saenz.

Denny Waldman: "The unidentified guy is not…

An old surfboard hangs on a driftwood structure

anthony friedkin 2 ps 2 w.jpg
An old surfboard hangs on a driftwood structure at Topanga Beach

Rodger Horsey shapes a surfboard

aurora (3) wet mag 78 w.jpg
Rodger Horsey wears a surgical mask after shaping a surfboard. He is covered in foam dust.

The Yellow House was burned by surfers

H2O 9 ps 2 w.jpg
The Yellow House was burned by surfers to spare it the indignity of being bulldozed when State Parks took over Topanga Beach. A graffitied pillar says, "Free Tanya."

The Yellow House was scavenged and graffitied

H2O 10&11 ps w.jpg
The Yellow House was scavenged and graffitied before being burned by surfers to spare it the indignity of being bulldozed when State Parks took over Topanga Beach. The walls show a drawing of a wave and the words "Last Tango," "Get Down," and "Chart…

George Trafton, Shane McMahon, Paul Lovas, Johnny Nation

H2O 13 ps w.jpg
Surfers George Trafton, Shane McMahon, Paul Lovas, and Johnny Nation sit on driftwood in front of The Yellow House. Paul is the author of "Topanga Beach Experience: 1960s-70s" (Brass Tacks Press, 2011). The lights on the balcony were used for surfing…

Ellen Mills at Topanga Days

7_10K crop.jpg
Ellen Mills works the bar at Topanga Days.

Architect Bob Bates with the tools of his trade

14_36b.jpg
Architect Bob Bates moved to Topanga in 1956 and opened an office here in 1963. He was a founder of the Topanga Association for a Scenic Community (TASC). There is "no front or back" to his houses. They "bring the outside in and vice versa," making…

Barton School Hand-drawn Map

Barton School Hand Drawn Map crop.jpg
Map of school property and buildings (1932-1948) drawn from memory in 1984

Aerial Tanker Douses 1960 Fire

12_18.jpg
The October 1960 fire on Hillside Drive was put down in record time. An aerial tanker is seen reflected against the smoke, dropping borate-fortified water.

Surfboards and catamarans at Topanga Beach

020 2018-09-20 scan_ ps 2 w.jpg
Surfboards lean against the bulkhead in front of Eddie Wingard's Topanga Beach house. Catamaran sailboats crowd the deck of the neighbor's house. Arundo grows between the houses.

Beach party at Eddie Wingard's house, 1/5

031 Neg_ w.jpg
Party guests eat food on a catamaran next to Eddie Wingard's house on Topanga Beach.

ON THE FRONT PONTOON:
John "Crumpet" Dabrowski sits at right.

ON THE BACK PONTOON:
George Trafton, Woody Woodard, and Lori (Woody's girlfriend) sit at…

Bernice Bantilan, Paulina Wingard, Tim Wingard

032 Slide_ ps 1 w.jpg
Bernice Bantilan, her sister Paulina Wingard, Paulina's brother-in-law Tim Wingard, and an unknown woman sit in front of Eddie Wingard's Topanga Beach house.

Beach party at Eddie Wingard's house, 2/5

034 Neg_ w.jpg
Party guests gather around a fussball table in front of Eddie Wingard's Topanga Beach house. A paddleboard hangs from the second story.

Johnny Nation in a sweater walks away at left.
Grant Rohloff in a white button-up shirt is to the left of…

At catamaran is parked on a crowded Topanga Beach

038 Slide_ w.jpg
At catamaran is parked on a crowded Topanga Beach. In the foreground are surfboards. In the background is The Chart House restaurant.

Catamarans line up in front of The Chart House

039 2018-09-20 scan_ ps 3 w.jpg
Catamarans line up in front of The Chart House restaurant to race in a regatta at Topanga Beach.

Aurora Glassock and Matt Lasky

042 Slide_ w.jpg
Aurora Glassock and Matt Lasky stand in front of a catamaran on Topanga Beach. In the background is The Chart House restaurant.

George Trafton sits in front of Topanga Beach houses

062 Neg_ w.jpg
Surfer George Trafton wears a bathing suit in front of a palm tree, arundo, and Topanga Beach houses. A bikini girl walks by.

Mike Perry carries his surfboard at Topanga Beach

2013 nov aurora (scan) (2) w.jpg
Mike Perry carries his surfboard by a sign advertising the Eternal Valley Memorial Park & Mortuary at Topanga Beach.

Davey Hilton holds onto his surfboard at Topanga Beach

2013 nov aurora (scan) (3) w.jpg
Davey Hilton's hat covers his eyes while he presses his T-shirt against his surfboard at Topanga Beach.

Giles Douglas carries a surfboard on Topanga Beach

2014 May (scan)_0007 ps w.jpg
Giles carries a surfboard on Topanga Beach. A dog follows behind.

Rick talks to a woman by Topanga Beach houses

2014 May (scan)_0008 w.jpg
Rick talks to a woman by Topanga Beach houses. In the background, a low tide reveals rocks.

Carl Barlow stands on the deck of The Yellow House

2014 May (scan)_0009 w.jpg
Carl Barlow stands on the deck of The Yellow House at Topanga Beach. A wetsuit dries on the balcony. A red surfboard stands upright beside a clothesline. Driftwood and rocks border the beach houses.

Aurora Glassock visits with Topanga Beach friends

2014 May (scan)_0010 ps w.jpg
Aurora Glassock (center) takes a group photo on the porch of a Topanga Beach house with friends. Giles Douglas shouts at her. Kim Lester wears a Hawaiian shirt. John "Crumpet" Dabrowski wears yellow shirt. David Allard holds a skateboard.

Men play volleyball by Topanga Beach houses

2014 May (scan)_0011 w.jpg
Men play volleyball at Topanga Beach. Mike Shultz lived in the first house. Philly Brooks and Franny McCartney lived in the second house. Merritt Van Sant lived in the green trailer.

George Trafton, Shane McMahon, and Rodger Horsey

aurora (1) ps 3 w.jpg
Surfers George Trafton, Shane McMahon, and Rodger Horsey stand by the ice machine at George's Market, across from Topanga Beach

Unknown, Crumpet, and Jeff Miller sit on beach chairs

aurora (2) aug 77 ps 3 w.jpg
An unknown woman, John "Crumpet" Dabrowski, and Jeff Miller sit on beach chairs at Topanga Beach with a dog.

Two red-haired women in bikinis eat chips on Topanga Beach

aurora (4) ps 1 w.jpg
Two red-haired women in bikinis eat Fritos corn chips on Topanga Beach by surfboards.

Jarnell Wingard and Aurora Glassock

aurora (5) may 76 w.jpg
Jarnell Wingard and Aurora Glassock stand by Jarnell's Topanga Beach house.

Davey Hilton and Woody Woodward stand by arundo

aurora (6) ps 2 w.jpg
Davey Hilton and Woody Woodward stand by arundo at Topanga Beach.

Crumpet, Jeff Miller, and John Fowler play monkeys

aurora (8) aug 77 w.jpg
John "Crumpet" Dabrowski, Jeff Miller, and John Fowler reenact the Japanese proverb, "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil," at Topanga Beach. The proverb is often depicted with three monkeys.

Woody Woodward carries a fishing pole at Topanga Beach

aurora (10) jan 76 w.jpg
Woody Woodward carries a fishing pole as he walks by a catamaran at Topanga Beach.

George Trafton looks into his truck camper

aurora (23) 73 or 76 ps 1 w.jpg
Surfer George Trafton looks through the open door of his truck camper by Topanga Beach houses.

Woody Woodward, Shane McMahon, and Lisa

aurora (27) 2-25-77 ps 1 w.jpg
Woody Woodward, Shane McMahon, and Lisa [SURNAME?] sit by a Topanga Beach house. Woody smokes a cigarette.

Lizanne and John Fowler sit by arundo on Topanga Beach

aurora (31) fowler 8-13-77 ps 1 w.jpg
Lizanne [SURNAME?] and John Fowler sit by arundo on Topanga Beach, wearing bathing suits. John smokes a cigarette.

Peter Townend and Allen Sarlo surf at Topanga Beach

aurora (37) townend sarlo jun 77 ps 1 w.jpg
Peter Townend ("PT") and Allen Sarlo (the "Wave Killer") surf together at Topanga Beach.

George Trafton, J. Murf, and Unknown play as Blue Juice

aurora (38) 7-8-77 ps 1 w.jpg
George Trafton (guitar), J. Murf (vocals, guitar), and an unknown man (saxophone) perform in the surf-rock band Blue Juice.

Barbara Anahita King painting, "Eagle Rock," 2004

14_30.jpg
"Eagle Rock, Topanga State Park," a painting by Barbara Anahita King.

Anahita King painting, "The Woodstone Cabin," 2005

P 13 a ps w.jpg
Barbara Anahita King's painting, "The Woodstone Cabin," shows the stone house of artists Cy and Vera Wood in Hondo Canyon.

Kristen Hansen, Gina Merchant, and Kailani Hector

8_9.jpg
Kristen Hansen, Gina Merchant, and Kailani Hector protest the Canyon Oaks development at Disney studios in Burbank.

"Save Topanga" protest sign

8_11.jpg
A protester trying to save Summit Valley from the Canyon Oaks development.

Supervisor Ed Edelman

10_43.jpg
Supervisor Ed Edelman, who led the effort to fund a park at Summit Valley, at its 1990s dedication.

A hippie gives the peace sign in The Snake Pit

Bernie 01 lighter ps 1 sharp w.jpg
A hippie gives the peace sign while balancing a piece of driftwood on a brick foundation in The Snake Pit. She wears a floral skirt that's open at the sides.

People and children gather at a house in The Snake Pit

Bernie 02 lighter ps 1 sharp w.jpg
People and children gather at a house in The Snake Pit. A sign says, "Dead End Street." Two socks hang from a clothesline.

A woman sits in a trailer in The Snake Pit

Bernie 03 lighter ps 1 sharp w.jpg
A woman smokes a cigarette in the doorway of a trailer in The Snake Pit.

Two girls sit in a colorful trailer in The Snake PIt

Bernie 04 lighter ps sharp w.jpg
Two girls sit in the doorway of a colorful trailer in The Snake PIt.

A man looks through the window of a house in the Snake Pit

Bernie 05 lighter ps 2b sharp w.jpg
A man looks through the window of a house in the Snake Pit that has an Indian flag, a "Pacific Coast Highway" sign, and a curtain covering the door.

Two Persian carpets adorn a house in the Snake Pit

Bernie 06 lighter ps 1b sharp w.jpg
Two Persian carpets adorn a house in the Snake Pit. The word "Marijuana" is written on a barrel.

A man lies on a hill overlooking The Snake Pit

Bernie 09-10 ps w.jpg
A man and his dog lie on a hill overlooking houses in The Snake Pit. The back of the Topanga Ranch Motel is at top right.

A shirtless hippie leans on a pickup truck in The Snake Pit

Bernie 11 lighter ps 2 sharp w.jpg
A shirtless hippie leans on a pickup truck in The Snake Pit. Hibiscus flowers grow behind him.

Davey Hilton on the first issue of "Skateboarder" magazine

Front-Cover ps w.jpg
Davey Hilton appears on the cover of the first issue of "Skateboarder" magazine, jumping over a bar, barefoot, at sunset in West Covina.

Molly Hogan, owner of The Nature of Wildworks

13_63.jpg
Molly Hogan, owner of The Nature of Wildworks, a non-profit wildlife care center that opened in 1995. She is pictured with Phoenix, her mountain lion.

Jim Fitzpatrick surfs Topanga Beach in an Iron Cross helmet

2013-06-07 facebook w.jpg
Jim Fitzpatrick, of the Topanga Bombers, surfs Topanga Beach in an Iron Cross helmet.

Jim: "This photo has caused me some consternation. It was simply making an anti-establishment statement. For me, it wasn't political. Subsequently I've…

Bob Cooper reads "Surf Guide" magazine at Topanga Beach

Bob Cooper ps 2 w.jpg
Bob Cooper (1937-2020) and a friend read together by arundo at Topanga Beach.

Cooper reads an article about himself, "Prophet on a Wave," in the April 1964 issue of "Surf Guide" magazine, in which author Kemp Aaberg celebrates his "Mount Everest…

Woody, "Four-Foot Seven-Inch Skateboard Giant," 1/5

Spread_014-2 ps 3.jpg
Woody Woodward surfs Topanga Beach and skates in a photo from the article "Four-Foot Seven-Inch Skateboard Giant" by Bill Cleary.

Woody, "Four-Foot Seven-Inch Skateboard Giant," 2/5

Spread_015-2 ps w.jpg
Woody Woodward skates on his paddle-tennis court at Topanga Beach in a photo from the article "Four-Foot Seven-Inch Skateboard Giant" by Bill Cleary.

Woody, "Four-Foot Seven-Inch Skateboard Giant," 4/5

Spread_016-2a ps w.jpg
Woody Woodward carries his surfboard on his head and skates at Topanga Beach in a photo from the article "Four-Foot Seven-Inch Skateboard Giant" by Bill Cleary.

Woody, "Four-Foot Seven-Inch Skateboard Giant," 5/5

Spread_015-2e ps 1 w.jpg
Woody Woodward walks on his surfboard on a wave at Topanga Beach in a photo from the article "Four-Foot Seven-Inch Skateboard Giant" by Bill Cleary.

"Woody the King: The Father of Modern Skateboarding," 1/2

27 crop w.jpg
Woody Woodward gives an interview at Topanga Beach in a series of photo from the article "Woody the King: A Candid Conversation with the Father of Modern Skateboarding" by Bill Cleary.

"Woody the King: The Father of Modern Skateboarding," 2/2

29a ps w.jpg
Woody Woodward and Michael Saenz skateboard on Woody's paddle-tennis court at Topanga Beach in a photo from the article "Woody the King: A Candid Conversation with the Father of Modern Skateboarding" by Bill Cleary.

A hang glider lands at Las Tunas Beach, 1/2

1977-09-29 Fly Like an Eagle - TM 1 w.jpg
A hang glider flies over Topanga Beach and Las Tunas Beach. in a photo from the article "Fly Like an Eagle" by Bill Hess. Two others have landed by the groins in the sand.

Bob DeWitt drawing, "Woody Guthrie," 1950s

14_57.jpg
"Woody Guthrie," a drawing of the folk musician in Topanga Canyon by Bob DeWitt.

Bob DeWitt drawing, "Wil Geer," 1970s

14_103.jpg
"Wil Geer," a drawing of the actor and Theatricum Botanicum founder by Bob DeWitt.

Jim Ganzer and Ronne Troup at their Topanga Beach house

2017-05-06 (scan) ps 1 w.jpg
Jim Ganzer and Ronne Troup sit on the deck of their Topanga Beach house with their dog Luke. Behind them arundo grows.

Ronne Troup and her dog Luke sit on Topanga Beach

2017-05-06 (scan)_0001 ps 1 w.jpg
Ronne Troup leans on driftwood while drinking from a mug at Topanga Beach. Her dog Luke sits by the bare feet of photographer Bob Dietrich.

Jim Ganzer sits in his Topanga Beach house

2017-05-06 (scan)_0003 ps 1 w.jpg
Artist Jim Ganzer sits in a chair barefoot in his Topanga Beach house.

Ronne Troup plays with her dog Luke at Topanga Beach

2017-05-06 (scan)_0005 ps 1 w.jpg
Ronne Troup plays with her dog Luke by Topanga Beach houses. Luke has a driftwood stick in his mouth.