Browse Items · Topanga Historical Society Digital Archive

Geraldine Flaxman and her son Adam lie in hammock

Geraldine Flaxman and her son Adam lie in hammock in their yard at Brookside.

Bill Flaxman holds his son Adam on the cable bridge, 1/2

Bill Flaxman holds his son Adam on the steps to the cable bridge at Brookside, which transported people in a lawn chair.

Aerial view of George's Market, 1980s

Aerial view of George's Market also shows the Topanga Ranch Motel, the Reel Inn, PCH, and the Topanga Beach lifeguard tower.

Karl Conrad rides a big wave in muddy water after a flood

Surfer Karl Conrad rides a big wave in muddy water after a flood at Topanga Beach. "Half the decks from Malibu were floating in the line-up."

Norton Wisdom feeds the horse Whitney from his window

Norton Wisdom feeds the horse Whitney from the window of his house at 3948 Topanga Lane in The Snake Pit.

Members of the punk band Panic stack hands on a beer

Members of the punk band Panic stack hands on a beer bottle: Snakepit Eddie Edwards (vocals, saxophone), Zam Johnson (drums), and Norton Wisdom (performance painting). Norton worked as the lifeguard at Topanga Beach.

Bill Powers jumps from the Topanga Beach lifeguard tower

Lifeguard Bill Powers holds a rescue can and jumps from the second floor of the Topanga Beach lifeguard tower.

Karl Conrad puts on a wetsuit while Jason Kniss smokes

Karl Conrad puts on a wetsuit, and Jason Kniss smokes a cigarette. The two surfers are at Topanga Beach.

Topanga Beach Cantina ad, 2/2

In Topanga, beachcombers eat our Shells.

And our Fajitas. Enchiladas. Huevos Rancheros. And mucho, mucho more.

Or try one of our house specialties, Tacos de Carne Asada, garnished with freshly made Pico de Gallo and the freshest seasonal fruits…

Topanga Beach Cantina ad, 1/2

Come Celebrate the Opening of
Topanga Beach Cantina

Fine Mexican Cuisine at a New Location
[Drawing of a sombrero]
Open 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

WEEKDAY LUNCH SPECIALS
$3.25

MONDAY & TUESDAY NIGHT SPECIALS
Dinner Combos $3.95
Corona…

Chris' Kitchen ad, 1981

Introducing... Chris' Kitchen
featuring home-style cooked breakfast from 7 a.m.
Lunch from 11:30 til closing.

GOOD WHOLESOME NUTRITIOUS FOOD
Excellent hamburgers, fresh fish & chips,
Speciality Sandwiches. Always Fresh!

Open…

A surfer in trunks rides a big wave on a longboard

A surfer in trunks rides a big wave on a longboard at Topanga Beach.

J. Murf holds his surfboard at his house on Old Malibu Road

J. Murf, shirtless and barefoot, holds up his surfboard at his house at 3960 1/2 Old Malibu Road.

Las Tunas Beach houses are burned by Palisades Fire, 3/3

View from the ocean shows Las Tunas Beach houses burned by the Palisades Fire. Smoke continues to rise. In the background are Business & Pleasure Co.’s Malibu Beach Club (with the wave mural), Topanga Beach, Mastro's Ocean Club, and the Villa Leon.

Las Tunas Beach houses are burned by Palisades Fire, 2/3

View from the ocean shows Las Tunas Beach houses burned by the Palisades Fire. At right, on top of the hill, are the ruins of the Moonfire Temple in Topanga.

Las Tunas Beach houses are burned by Palisades Fire, 1/3

View from the ocean shows Las Tunas Beach houses burned by the Palisades Fire. At right is Business & Pleasure Co.’s Malibu Beach Club, an outdoor furniture store located at 18820 PCH.

Wylie's Bait & Tackle has a halibut on its yellow sign

Wylie's Bait & Tackle (at 18757 PCH) has a halibut on its yellow sign. Fish sculptures decorate the roof.

Women climb the oversized chair at Rosenthal Wine Bar

Women take a group photo in front of Rosenthal Wine Bar, at 18741 PCH, across from Topanga Beach. They climb on the oversized chair and table, on which stands a wine bottle and two glasses.

The neon signs of Cholada Thai Beach Cuisine light up

The neon signs of Cholada Thai Beach Cuisine light up at dusk, at 18763 PCH, across from Topanga Beach.

Oasis Imports is packed with ornaments

Oasis Imports is packed with ornamental statues, mirrors, lamps, vases, wind chimes, and furniture, at 3931 S Topanga Canyon Blvd., at the intersection with PCH.

The Reel Inn's neon sign lights up PCH

The neon sign of the Reel Inn seafood restaurant lights up PCH at night, at 18661 PCH, across from Topanga Beach. A Volkswagen Beetle car is parked nearby.

A spiral staircase leads to the top of a burned beach house

A spiral staircase leads to the top of a Las Tunas Beach house burned by the Palisades Fire.

The Malibu Feed Bin announces raffle winners

The Malibu Feed Bin (at 3931 S. Topanga Canyon Blvd., at the intersection with PCH) has a sign in front announcing its raffle winners, with letters missing...

More of our
$50 winners
Maria Nation
Susan Broesmane

Maria Nation with parents Lester and Margaret Cohen

Maria Nation gets a piggyback ride from her stepfather Lester Cohen. Her mother Margaret Cohen stands beside them by a fence in their yard at 3739 Rodeo Grounds.

Oasis Imports business card

Oasis Imports Inc.'s business card shows a sun and palm trees.

David Haid (owner)
3931 S. Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Malibu, CA 90265
(Corner of PCH and Topanga Canyon)

Store Hours: Mon-Sun 10-6
Phone: (310) 456-9883
iPhone: (310) 487-1874
Fax:…

Malibu Feed Bin business card

The Malibu Feed Bin's business card shows a drawing of a rooster, a dog, a bird, and a heart in the name of the Morehart family (the owners).

Malibu Feed Bin
3931 S. Topanga Canyon Blvd.
(at the intersection with PCH)
Malibu, CA 90265
(310)…

Topanga Ranch Motel business card, 2/2

The Topanga Ranch Motel's business card shows a drawing of a cabin (that does not look like the motel).

Bill Rice, manager

Topanga Ranch Motel
18711 PCH, Malibu, CA 90265
(across from Topanga Beach)
Phone (301) 456-5486

Topanga Ranch Motel business card, 1/2

The Topanga Ranch Motel's business card shows the sign above the office, at the entrance.

Stephanie Grayson, manager
Ray Craig, owner

Topanga Ranch Motel
18711 PCH, Malibu, CA 90265
(across from Topanga Beach)
Phone (301) 456-5486
Fax…

Boardriders Malibu business card

Boardriders
Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, DC Shoes, RVCA, Element, VonZipper, Xcel

Boardriders -- Malibu
Store 301
18820 PCH, Malibu, CA 90265
(at Topanga Beach)
(301) 359-8274

Reel Inn business card, 2/2

The Reel Inn's business card has a drawing of a swimming fish.

Reel Inn restaurant, fresh fish market
18661 PCH, Malibu, CA 90265
(Across from Topanga Beach)
Phone (310) 456-8221
Fax (310) 456-3568

Reel Inn business card, 1/2

The Reel Inn's business card shows benches in the dining room, surfboards hanging from the ceiling, and the neon sign in front.

"Best fresh fish in Malibu."
American Airlines

Reel Inn, fresh fish-market, restaurant
Open daily 11 a.m. to 9…

Map of the Palisades Fire perimeter, 2025

Topanga Canyon is at the center of this 3D topographical map, which shows the starting point of the Pacific Palisades Fire and the full extent of its perimeter, reaching to Santa Monica, Brentwood, Encino, and Malibu.

Las Tunas Beach, Topanga Beach, and Sunset Mesa fire map

Palisades Fire damage map shows houses burned at Las Tunas Beach, Topanga Beach, and Sunset Mesa.

RED = Destroyed (>50%)
ORANGE = Major (26-50%)
YELLOW = Minor (10-25%)
GREEN = Affected (1-9%)
GRAY = Inaccessible
BLACK = No Damage

The blackened sign of The Reel Inn is the only thing standing

The blackened sign of The Reel Inn is the only thing standing after the Palisades Fire at 18661 PCH.

Claudia, Shane McMahon, Lisa Adams, and Danny Bernstein

Claudia [SURNAME?], Shane McMahon, Barbara Bernstein (hat), and Danny Bernstein (hat) sit on a couch at Topanga Beach. Bruce Bernstein stands in front of the couch. Lisa Adams peeks over the back of the couch. Bey Johnson sits on the sand.

Gary Carmichael greets his first customer at his fruit stand

Gary Carmichael greets his first customer at his fruit stand at the corner of Topanga Canyon Blvd. and PCH on opening day.

Gary Carmichael's fruit stand sits on a flatbed trailer

Gary Carmichael's fruit stand sits on a flatbed trailer at the corner of Topanga Canyon Blvd. and PCH on opening day.

Mike Gray and J. Murf stand by their house

Mike Gray and J. Murf stand by their house at 3727 Rodeo Grounds. Behind them are their Porsches, a red 911 and a white Super 90.

Maria Nation and Darrell Giddens hug on Topanga Lane

Maria Nation and Darrell Giddens hug on Topanga Lane, near two dogs.

Mrs. Carey's kindergarten class lines up at the door, 1964

Mrs. Carey's kindergarten class lines up at the door of their classroom at Topanga Elementary School. Perry Lanaro wears a striped shirt.

Mrs. Carey's name changed a few times, becoming Mrs. Chappelle and/or Mrs. Armstrong.

Sandy Ignon sculpture, "Fishing Rods," 1980s

Alexander "Sandy" Ignon's sculpture, "Fishing Rods," shows bent fishing poles against the white wall of Michael Greene's art studio in The Rodeo Grounds.

Nina Hagen, Cosma Shiva Hagen, and Michael Greene

Musician Nina Hagen, in leopard print, raises her hands beside her daughter, Cosma Shiva Hagen, and Michael Greene in Michael's yard at 3726 Rodeo Grounds.

Michael Greene tends his marijuana plants, 5/5

Michael Greene holds an uprooted marijuana plant in front of his house at 3726 Rodeo Grounds.

Three people stand with paper bags on their heads

Hampton Fancher, Buck [NAME UNKNOWN], and Michael Greene (in bathrobe) stand with paper bags on their heads in Michael's yard in The Rodeo Grounds. (Performance art.)

Furniture dries out in Michael Greene's yard, 3/3

Furniture dries out in Michael Greene's muddy yard after a flood, including a lamp, a chair, and a blanket. Michael sits, packing a marijuana joint. Gil Lewis stands by the house at 3726 Rodeo Grounds, holding a shovel and a pan.

Michael Greene pretends to be bitten by a dog

Michael Greene pretends that a stick of rawhide is his penis, and screams as a dog bites it, in front of his house at 3726 Rodeo Grounds. (Performance art.)

Michael Greene is a wizard, Sandy Ignon is a hunchback

Michael Greene plays a wizard, and Alexander "Sandy" Ignon plays a hunchback. They do performance art in front of Michael's house at 3726 Rodeo Grounds.

Michael Greene tends his marijuana plants, 3/5

Michael Greene stands on a ladder while tending his marijuana plants in The Rodeo Grounds. He wears a gun holster.

Michael Greene tends his marijuana plants, 2/5

Michael Greene stands on a ladder while tending his marijuana plants in The Rodeo Grounds. He wears a gun holster.

Michael Greene, Kedric Wolfe perform at gas station, 5/5

Actors Michael Greene and Kedric Wolfe lead performance artists at the Thrifty gas station at the intersection of Topanga Canyon Blvd. and PCH.

Flo Lawrence plays a cowgirl and lies on top of Alexander "Sandy" Ignon, who plays a deranged…

Michael Greene, Kedric Wolfe perform at gas station, 4/5

Actors Michael Greene and Kedric Wolfe lead performance artists at the Thrifty gas station at the intersection of Topanga Canyon Blvd. and PCH.

Flo Lawrence plays a cowgirl, bares a breast, and rides the pump. Michael plays a superhero and sticks…

Michael Greene, Kedric Wolfe perform at gas station, 2/5

Actors Michael Greene and Kedric Wolfe lead performance artists at the Thrifty gas station at the intersection of Topanga Canyon Blvd. and PCH.

Flo Lawrence plays a cowgirl, bares a breast, and rides the pump. Michael plays a superhero. Brigitte…

Michael Greene, Kedric Wolfe perform at gas station, 1/5

Actors Michael Greene and Kedric Wolfe do performance art at the Thrifty gas station at the intersection of Topanga Canyon Blvd. and PCH.

Michael plays a superhero and holds a baton like a telescope. Kedric wears an anti-war costume consisting of…

Michael Greene lies in a pickup truck in The Rodeo Grounds

Michael Greene smokes a cigarette in the bed of a pickup truck at the entrance to The Rodeo Grounds. A sign posted by the Los Angeles Athletic Club says, "Private Property. No Parking. Tow-Away. Keep Out." The Rodeo Grounds bridge is in the…

Residents build the Rodeo Grounds bridge, 1981, 3/5

Michael Greene crouches by a ladder while building the Rodeo Grounds bridge over Topanga Creek out of telephone poles.

George Wood stands in his house Thornwood

Folk musician George Wood stands in the living room of his house Thornwood (named after his wife Katie's maiden name, Thornley, and Wood), at 3427 Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Brookside.

North Wood eats a sandwich while sitting in a tree

An unknown girl and North Wood eat sandwiches while sitting on a tree branch above Topanga Creek at Brookside.

North Wood flies a kite in the Topanga Creek bed

North Wood flies a kite in the Topanga Creek bed at Brookside.

Katie and George Wood stand in their house Thornwood

Folk musicians Katie Wood and George Wood stand in their house Thornwood (named after Katie's maiden name, Thornley, and Wood), at 3427 Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Brookside. George holds a guitar.

April Wood sits on a rock in Topanga Creek

April Wood wears a white dress and sits on a rock in Topanga Creek at Brookside.

April Wood pretends to dive into the flooding creek

April Wood pretends to dive into the flooding Topanga Creek at Brookside.

Katie Wood, North Wood, and April Wood play in the mud

Katie Wood, her children North and April, and their friends show their muddy feet and hands while playing in the Topanga Creek bed at Brookside.

Ginger Snips appears in a California Cooler commercial

Ginger Snips Salon & Spa, across from Topanga Beach, appears as the fictitious, 1964, Malibu, hamburger restaurant "Louie's" in a still from a TV commercial for California Cooler (the first wine cooler). The interior was filmed at The Reel Inn.

Jamie Budge and friends gather at the Seaside Surf Shoppe

Jamie Budge (white shoes) and friends take a group photo in front of the Seaside Surf Shoppe (Asbury Park or Long Beach Island, New Jersey) while touring his surf film "The Living Curl" on the East Coast. Behind them is his van, which has a painted…

Jamie Budge interviews J. Riddle in Santa Monica, 3/3

Jamie Budge, holding a microphone, interviews J. Riddle, holding a Natural Progression surfboard, in Santa Monica. Budge was gathering content for the unaired pilot (and only filmed) episode of his TV show "Wide World of Surfing."

Jamie Budge interviews J. Riddle in Santa Monica, 2/3

Jamie Budge, holding a microphone, interviews J. Riddle, holding a Natural Progression surfboard, in Santa Monica. Budge was gathering content for the unaired pilot (and only filmed) episode of his TV show "Wide World of Surfing."

Jamie Budge interviews J. Riddle in Santa Monica, 1/3

Jamie Budge, holding a microphone, interviews J. Riddle, holding a Natural Progression surfboard, in Santa Monica. Budge was gathering content for the unaired pilot (and only filmed) episode of his TV show "Wide World of Surfing."

FLYER:

“Wide…

Jamie Budge, Pat Darren, and Jim Ganzer wear Roy's trunks

Jamie Budge (multi-contest winner and President of the Malibu Surfing Association in his official MSA trunks), Pat Darren, and Jim Ganzer model Roy's Cabana custom trunks in a magazine advertisement. They are holding their surfboards and standing at…

Surf filmmaker Jamie Budge leans on his red van

Surf filmmaker Jamie Budge leans on his red van and surfboard with a hatchet fin in front of his apartment on 937 1/2 9th St. in Santa Monica.

Poster for "Chain Reaction" by Jamie Budge, 1970

Jamie Budge screened his surf film "Chain Reaction" at the Woman's Center Auditorium, 3451 Foothill Rd., Ventura, CA. The poster calls it a "visual trip through the world of surfing," with "hot music and easy narration." The image of the burning monk…

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