Browse Items (464 total)

  • Collection: Lower Topanga

Yacht Harbor proposed by LAAC

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The Los Angeles Athletic Club proposed building a Yacht Clubhouse and Harbor south of Topanga Beach.

Woody Woodward's Skateboarding Hall of Fame T-shirt

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Woody Woodward skates on a T-shirt created by Logan Earth Ski to commemorate his induction into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame in 2013.

Woody Woodward, John Murphy, and Jeff Horseman

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Woody Woodward, John Murphy (J. Murf), and Jeff Horseman in the Topanga Beach parking lot

Woody Woodward rides his new Hobie surfboard

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Woody Woodward rides a wave on his first new surfboard, from Hobie.

Woody Woodward does headstand on Makaha skateboard

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Woody Woodward, aka "Woody the King," does a headstand on a Makaha skateboard.

Women sit beside a large rock, holding flowers

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Women, wearing dresses and large hats, hold flowers and sit with men in suits beside a large rock on the bank of Topanga Creek in Lower Topanga.

William Wills Coolbaugh holds a Native-American skull

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William Wills Coolbaugh holds a Native-American skull that he dug out of a mound in Lower Topanga.

Where Topango Creek meets the ocean

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"Where Topango Creek meets the ocean".... The view shows the last turn before the Topanga Lagoon

Western actors with rifles and wagons play settlers

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D. W. Griffith directed the Western "Crossing the American Prairies in the Early Fifties" in Lower Topanga. He spoke through a megaphone from the saddle of a cream-colored horse. He included 200 cowboys from nearby ranches, 50 women and children, 120…

Western actors play Native Americans and settlers

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D. W. Griffith directed the Western "Crossing the American Prairies in the Early Fifties" in Lower Topanga. He spoke through a megaphone from the saddle of a cream-colored horse. He included 200 cowboys from nearby ranches, 50 women and children, 120…

West Topanga Beach Road, 18622 to 18722

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West Topanga Beach Road was a private driveway serving the homes 18622 to 18722.

Waitresses at Rust's Barbecue restaurant (2/2)

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Waitresses at Rust's Barbecue restaurant: Mabel, Dolly, and Cleo Wendill.

Waitresses at Rust's Barbecue restaurant (1/2)

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Waitresses at at Rust's Barbecue restaurant: Dolly, Ina Rust, Mabel, and Cleo Wendill.

Victoria Anderson sunbathes at Topanga Beach

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From the book Life Lived by Jim Ganzer (Indoek, 2024).

Unknown artist painting, "Jack Rabbit Lodge," early 1900s

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The lodge beside the Topanga Lagoon was inhabited by fishermen until prospector William Wills Coolbaugh bought it in 1909. A deputy sheriff burned it down on March 22, 1911, to evict the illegal homesteader.

Two men with rifle under Arch Rock, 1890s

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Two men with rifle under Arch Rock, 1890s. Stereoscope image.

Two men in suits walk down Topanga Canyon Road

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Two men in suits walk down Topanga Canyon Road in Lower Topanga. They have draped their coats over their shoulders.

Two cars park on the newly widened Topanga Canyon Road

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Two cars full of people park on the newly widened Topanga Canyon Road in Lower Topanga. On the right, a man gets water from a spring.

Topographical Sheet map, 1933

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Topographical Sheet map shows houses on Topanga Beach and Las Tunas Beach.

Topango Radiant Springs truck

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Distributor Harry "Sox" Kuhlmeyer stands with his Topango Radiant Springs truck. The company delivered water from a spring at the bottom of the S-turns. Joy Pierce was the manager.

Topanga Yacht Club race off Topanga Beach

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Topanga Yacht Club races promoted the cause of a Topanga Yacht Harbor at Topanga Beach. Emmett Harvey of Los Angeles won this race in his Vagabond. Second was Dr. Fred Ott of Inglewood in his Goat. Floyd Alexander was third in Sea Horse.

Topanga Yacht Club membership cards, 1933-1936

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Topanga Yacht Club membership cards, signed by Oka Stewart (member), Helene Raymond and Henry Gledhill Jr. (secretaries), and Vesey O’Davoren (commodore).

Topanga Service Station gas station ad

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Topanga Service Station gas station advertisement. "Where Topanga Road Meets the New Coast Highway." Red Crown and Union Gasoline at City Prices. Clayton C. Rust Proprietor.

Topanga Ranch Motel key

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Topanga Ranch Motel cabin #19 was the home of Jack Lester Sr. and his sons Kim and Jack Jr. They lived in multiple cabins from 1963 until it closed in 2002... about half of the motel's existence!

Topanga postcard: "Have You Forgotten...?"

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Topanga postcard: "Have You Forgotten That I Am Still at Topanga? Then Why Don't You Write?"

Topanga map, 1950

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Department of County Forester and Fire Warden. Divisional Map No. 1 - Battalion 5.

Topanga Explorers, Kelp Devils at Topanga Beach

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Topanga Scout Post 220: Topanga Explorers, Kelp Devils, go skin diving in homemade wetsuits at Topanga Beach. STANDING: Bill Sloan (post committee member), George Schreder, Jon Sloan, Rick Hass, Tom Lennan, Star Soderstrom, Mark Squiers, Eugene…

Topanga Christmas Card, 1920s

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Postcard shows a sunset over the sea, framed by California Holly (toyon berries) and California Poppies. The caption says, "Season's Greetings from Topanga, California."

Topanga Canyon Road under construction

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A chain gang works on rebuilding and widening Topanga Canyon Road in the S-Turns.

Topanga Bombers reunion T-shirt, 1991

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Topanga Bomber Jim Fitzpatrick commissioned skateboard artist Sean Cliver to design this reunion T-shirt in 1991. It was printed at Powell-Peralta Skateboards.

Fitzpatrick asked Cliver to modify the logo of the Santa Cruz Surfers Union by adding a…

Topanga Beach, 1924

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Topanga Beach, 1924, showing beach houses, tents, Cooper's Camp, and cars on the highway.

Topanga Beach Tent City and Bungalows ad

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Topanga Beach Tent City and Bungalows ad. 100 feet from the ocean. Bungalows accommodating four persons. Tent cabins accommodating two or three. Dance floor for guests. Mrs. Lillie Fields, proprietor.

Topanga Beach surfers sit on driftwood

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Rick Hoffman (left), Woody Woodward (smoking), Mike Bernstein (guitar), J. Riddle (guitar), Mark Martin, Matt Lasky, Sherry Sharp, and Laurie Lott sit on driftwood at Topanga Beach. The house with the arundo belonged to Dr. Schweiger.

Topanga Beach panorama, 1928

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Topanga Beach panorama shows Potter's Store, Topanga Service Station, billboards for Union Gasoline and Lightning Gasoline, a bathhouse, the De Long Cafe, Cooper's Camp, and the bridge over the lagoon.

Topanga Beach map, 1925

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Topanga Beach map, 1925, shows Brookside Drive, Shady Lane, The Rodeo Grounds, Topanga Lane (Topanga Canyon Lane), Old Malibu Road, and the former site of Arch Rock (Natural Arch).

Topanga Beach map, 1903

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A Topanga Beach map from 1903 shows four houses and the "Natural" Arch Rock.

Topanga Beach map, 1896

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Topanga Beach map, 1896, shows a Mexican's house at Las Tunas Beach, a house in Tuna Canyon, and plowed land in Peña Canyon.

Topanga Beach map, 1895

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Topanga Beach map, 1895, shows a Mexican's house at Las Tunas Beach, a house in Tuna Canyon, and plowed land in Peña Canyon.

Topanga Beach map, 1881

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Topanga Beach map, 1881, showing Arch Rock ("Arch in conglomerate rock," "Rocky Point Mal Paso") and markers in stone mounds.

Topanga Beach map, 1881

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Topanga Beach map, 1881, showing Arch Rock ("Rocky Point Mal Paso") and markers in stone mounds.

Topanga Beach map, 1877

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Topanga Beach map, 1877, shows: Tepango Canon [Topanga Canyon], Johnson Peak, and a kelp bed.

Topanga Beach map, 1876

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Topanga Beach map, 1876, shows: Tepango Canon [Topanga Canyon], Johnson Peak, and kelp bed.

Topanga Beach map, 1874

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Topanga Beach map, 1874, shows: Arroyo Topango [Topanga Creek], a post in a mound of stone at Point Topanga [sic], a point of rocks (Mal Paso) [Arch Rock]

Topanga Beach map, 1868

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Topanga Beach map, 1868, shows: Laguna de Topanga [Topanga Lagoon], a post in a mound of stone, Rocky Point (Mal Paso) [Arch Rock]

Topanga Beach houses along the old coast road

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Topanga Beach houses along the old coast road, before they were swept away by high waves in a February 1926 storm.

Topanga Beach before the automobile age

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Topanga Beach had only one house "before the automobile age." This photo was taken from Sunset Mesa.

Topanga Beach Auto Court

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Topanga Beach Auto Court, with James Talmadge's Deusenberg. James was the son of Buster Keaton and lived on Tuna Beach.

Tom Evans with Marion, Roberta, William, Florence Spence

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Tom (maybe), wife Marion Evans (Spence), Roberta, William, and Florence Spence gather by a trailer in the backyard of Spence's Cabins motel on Topanga Lane.

Three women at the Step Inn Cafe

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Three women at the Step Inn Cafe stand in front of 1937 Dodge and 1932 Buick cars.

Theodore Gegoux painting, "Topanga Canyon, Mountains on the Coast," 1915

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Theodore Gegoux's painting, "Topanga Canyon, Mountains on the Coast," shows Topanga Beach, Topanga Lagoon, and the entrance to Topanga Canyon.

The White Squadron pauses for lunch in Brookside

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The White Squadron pauses for lunch in Brookside. The trip of 15 steam cars, carrying 67 people, was organized by Col. F. C. Fenner of the “White garage.”

The Topanga Creek flood piles cars against debris

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The Topanga Creek flood piles two cars against debris on Shady Lane in Lower Topanga Canyon.

The Topanga Canyon road between the coast and the grade

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The Topanga Canyon road was once a narrow dirt road, as seen here between the coast and the grade.

The Step Inn Cafe appears in the film "Champion" (1949)

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The Step Inn Cafe appears in the film "Champion" (1949). Actors Arthur Kennedy and Kirk Douglas are seen walking to the entrance.

The Rust family builds snowmen in Topanga

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The Rust family builds snowmen in Topanga. From left: unknown, Clayton Rust, unknown (seated), Cleo Rust Wendill, Avis Wendill, Ina Rust, Mary Kays

The Rust family at Topanga Beach

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The Rust family at Topanga Beach. Ella Rust sits in the center of sons Archie and Don Rust and their families. Granddaughter Thais Rust is at right.

The Rust family at Topanga Beach

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The Rust family at Topanga Beach.

FRONT:
Ellen Rust Penland, Joanne Simmons, Thais Rust, Ray and Leon Simmons, Ella Rust, Avis Wendill, Fern Rust, Raburn Stedman Rust.

MIDDLE:
Clayton Rust, Roy Rust, Claude Simmons, Edythe Rust, Fleta Rust,…

The Malibu Feed Bin and the Morehart family

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In 1961, Ace Smith created the Malibu Feed Bin at the corner of Topanga Canyon Blvd. and Pacific Coast Highway. In 1966, he sold it to Marty Morehart, pictured here with his wife Patricia and two daughters, Katie and Kasey, holding their own…

The last residents of the Rodeo Grounds 2/2

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The last residents of the Rodeo Grounds gather on a couch at James Mathers's party.

BACK ROW: Christof Marquardsen, Michele Capra, Bernt Capra, Jean-Louis Bartoli, Kendall Perkins ("Lyf"), Robin Paz ("Lunch Lady").

FRONT ROW: Daisy Duck…

The last residents of the Rodeo Grounds 1/2

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The last residents of the Rodeo Grounds gather on a couch at James Mathers's party.

BACK ROW: Michele Capra, Calvin Lunsford, Farengis Danesh, Kendall Perkins ("Lyf"), Robin Paz ("Lunch Lady"), Sam Rollins.

FRONT ROW: Daisy Duck McCrackin,…

The fishing boat Ameco sank off Topanga Beach, killing 16

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The fishing boat "Ameco" capsized off Topanga Beach, and 16 people drowned on Memorial Day, May 30, 1930. This remains the worst boating accident in the Santa Monica Bay.