Browse Items (3726 total)

Geoffrey Dillon skates a ramp on W. Topanga Beach Rd., 2/2

Geoffrey Dillon rides a G. & S. Fibreflex skateboard on a ramp on W. Topanga Beach Rd. He wears a Gordon & Smith T-shirt.

Geoffrey Dillon skates a ramp on W. Topanga Beach Rd., 1/2

Geoffrey Dillon rides a G. & S. Fibreflex skateboard on a ramp on W. Topanga Beach Rd. He wears a Gordon & Smith T-shirt. Behind him is a boarded-up beach house.

Paul Lovas's house in The Snake Pit is swept away

Paul Lovas's house in The Snake Pit is swept away as Topanga Creek floods. Paul is the author of "Topanga Beach Experience: 1960s-70s" (Brass Tacks Press, 2011).

Topanga Lane descends into The Snake Pit

Topanga Lane descends from Pacific Coast Highway into The Snake Pit. The back of The Reel Inn restaurant is at right.

Jim and Nancy Lane rest on a catamaran

Married couple Jim and Nancy Lane rest on a catamaran on Topanga Beach.

Jimmy Allard, Hymie Marr, and Christian Andersen

Jimmy Allard, Hymie Marr, and Christian Andersen take a group photo by the Wingard house at Topanga Beach.

Surfers sit by driftwood at Topanga Beach

Surfers sit by driftwood by the Topanga Beach house of Dr. Schweiger. They are Jan-Michael Vincent (holding a script), Greg Jackson, Mark Barker ("The Mate") (maybe), Anne Fuchs ("Bunny") (drinking), Jeff Ort (hat), and Kit [SURNAME?} (Bunny's…

View from the ocean shows Topanga Beach houses, 1970s

View from the ocean shows Topanga Beach houses.

1. Wheeler Coberly's house
2. Dr. Schweiger's house
3. Lloyd Ahern's house (The Yellow House)
4. Skip Smith, Bruce Lucoff, and Robbie Dick's house
5. John Puklus's house
6. Victoria Andersen's…

The surf band Blue Juice rehearses in The Yellow House

The surf-rock band Blue Juice rehearses in The Yellow House at Topanga Beach.

They are Jeff Ort (drums), Don MacVicar (bass), Richard "Book" Brooks (vocals), George Trafton (guitar), and J. Murf (vocals, guitar).

Alan Haigh, Mickey Moriarty, and Jeff Ort play music

Alan Haigh (flute), Mickey Moriarty (guitar), and Jeff Ort (drum) play music on Topanga Beach.

A person carries an umbrella on the Rodeo Grounds bridge

A person carries an umbrella on the Rodeo Grounds bridge over Topanga Creek. Above are houses on Topanga Canyon Blvd.

Chuck Thayer, Ed Stalcup, Ray Casser, and Bud Skibitzke

Ed Stalcup hugs his dog Tom on the Rodeo Grounds bridge he helped build. Behind him in the group photo are Chuck Thayer (who led the construction), Ray Casser, and Bud Skibitzke (Thayer's architect friend from the Pacific Palisades who donated the…

A man stands with Laurie Lanaro by Topanga Beach houses

A man stands with Laurie Lanaro by Topanga Beach houses. Behind them is a catamaran.

Gary Dannenbaum raises his hands as he drops into a wave

Gary Dannenbaum raises his hands as he drops into a wave on his 10'4" Glen Kennedy surfboard at Topanga Beach. He wears an ankle brace.

Gary Dannenbaum nearly gets covered up by a wave

Gary Dannenbaum nearly gets covered up while riding an overhead wave on his 10'4" Glen Kennedy surfboard at Topanga Beach.

Gary Dannenbaum rides a wave on the nose

Gary Dannenbaum rides a wave on the nose of his 10'4" Glen Kennedy surfboard at Topanga Beach.

Something's Fishy Here ad, 1979

Something's Fishy Here seafood restaurant advertises sushi, chicken teriyaki, lobster, and clams at 18753 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, across from Topanga Beach.

Jenny Wemple and Lorry Batton sit on car

Jenny Wemple and Lorry Batton sit on car in front of their house on Topanga Lane. Patty Batton owned the house and rented to the Wemple family.

Wendy and Jenny Wemple stand by the Malibu Feed Bin

Sisters Wendy and Jenny Wemple stand by the Malibu Feed Bin. Christmas decorations advertise, "Santa and his live reindeer."

Claudia Lasky rides her horse Petulia on Topanga Beach

Claudia Lasky pulls a rowboat in the Topanga Lagoon

Claudia Lasky pulls a rowboat in the Topanga Lagoon. Inside are an unknown girl, Dina (Claudia's sister), and Victoria Woodward. Beach houses are in the background.

Jarnell Wingard visits teenage friends in front of her house

Christian Andersen, Johnny Nation, Unknown, Jarnell Wingard, and Aurora Glassock sit in front of Jarnell's Topanga Beach house. A sign on the door says, "Hele mai / Noa Ka hale," in Hawaiian.

Surfers hang out in front of The Yellow House

Shane McMahon, J. Murf (behind him), Cheryl Giefer, George Trafton, Thumper (dog), Bruce Lucoff, and Rick Hodgson hang out by a yellow surfboard in front of The Yellow House at Topanga Beach.

The Chart House menu is written on a cutting board

The menu for The Chart House restaurant at Topanga Beach is written on a cutting board. It advertises locations in California, Colorado, and Hawaii. Steaks are at the top, followed by kabob, Hawaiian chicken, lobster, and prime rib.

Carole Winter and friends stand in mud in The Snake Pit

Carole Winter (center) takes a group photo with friends, standing in the mud after a flood in The Snake Pit. Alexandra "Sasha" Dillon holds a cigarette at right.

Carole Winter watches Topanga Creek flood The Snake Pit

Carole Winter stands by the Topanga Creek as it floods Paul Lovas's house in The Snake Pit.

A flood damages Paul Lovas's house in The Snake Pit, 2/2

A flood damages Paul Lovas's house in The Snake Pit. The house is boarded up and surrounded by mud.

Carole Winter pets her dog on a hill above Topanga Beach

Mike Perry stands with his surfboards on the roof

Mike Perry, wearing trunks, stands with his colorful surfboards on the roof of a house on Old Malibu Road.

A neon sign in the shape of an arrow says, "Topanga Beach"

A neon sign in the shape of an arrow advertises the Topanga Beach Auto Court, aka the Topanga Ranch Motel.

Carole Winter stands with a man at a Topanga Beach house

Carole Winter, wearing a swimsuit, stands with a man on the deck of a Topanga Beach house.

Carole Winter's Topanga Beach friends see her off

Carole Winter takes a group photo with her Topanga Beach friends on the steps at LAX airport. She is moving to the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, and they are seeing her off.

BACK ROW:
Aricia Stanton (Aricia Halley), Claudia [SURNAME?], and Cindy…

Tommy Bartee wears a puka-shell necklace

Surfer Tommy Bartee wears trunks, sunglasses, and a puka-shell necklace by The Yellow House at Topanga Beach.

Two hippie couples stand by bushes in The Snake Pit

Two hippie couples stand by bushes in The Snake Pit. They are Nicky Saenz, Janis [SURNAME?], Carole Winter, and Eddie Saenz.

John Clemens and Carole Winter hug

John Clemens and Carole Winter hug in a Topanga Beach house. John is shirtless.

Bruce Brown stands on the roof of a Topanga Beach house

The dog Bruce Brown stands on the roof of a Topanga Beach house.

Aerial view of Topanga Beach houses, 1970s

Aerial view of Topanga Beach houses shows PCH and The Raft.

BEACH HOUSES:
1. Rorbert Woodward's house (18722)
2. Tyler Woodward's house (18718)
3. Dr. Russell Smith's house (18716)
4. Unknown house
5. Sid Bernstein's house
6. Doris…

Natural Progression ad shows George Trafton getting tubed

An ad for Natural Progression surfboards shows a yin-yang symbol with George Trafton getting tubed by a wave on one side, and holding his surfboard on the other.

Aurora Glassock plays drums, George Trafton plays guitar

Aurora Glassock plays drums and George Trafton plays guitar before George's show with his band Blue Juice at the Roman Inn in Santa Monica.

Aerial view of Topanga Beach, 1979

Aerial view of Topanga Beach shows The Snake Pit, The Rodeo Grounds, Sunset Mesa, and the entrance to Topanga Canyon shortly after the beach houses were demolished.

Jamie Budge films "The Californians" at Topanga Beach

Surf filmmaker Jamie Budge films "The Californians" (1967, 2010) at Topanga Beach with a 16mm Bolex camera. He has a toothpick in his mouth. His also made "The Living Curl" (1965). Greg MacGillivray previously used this camera to film "Cool Wave of…

Jamie Budge holds his 16mm camera like a Tommy gun

Surf filmmaker Jamie Budge wears a suit and holds his 16mm Bolex camera in a pose reminiscent of a Prohibition-era gangster holding a Tommy gun. This was a publicity photo for the unaired pilot of Budge's TV show "Wide World of Surfing." His films…

English John holds his surfboard with a Union Jack flag

"English John" C. Peacock holds his surfboard, with a painted Union Jack flag, under the lifeguard tower at Topanga Beach.

Bob Feigel and Celeste Mills's hippie wedding, 4/4

Bob Feigel and Celeste Mills's hippie wedding culminated on the deck of Jim and Frances Fitzpatrick's house, next to the vacant lot, on Topanga Beach on Easter 1971.

Kenny McWilliams, the pastor, reads to the couple.
Helen Mills, mother of the…

George Trafton drinks a Coke on W. Topanga Beach Rd.

Surfer George Trafton drinks a Coca-Cola soda on W. Topanga Beach Rd.

People play guitars by Topanga Beach houses

People sit by Topanga Beach houses. The Yellow House is at right.

Rick Hoffman, Woody Woodward (smoking a joint), Mike Bernstein and J. Riddle (playing guitars), Mark Martin (middle), Matt Lasky (blue T-shirt), Sherry Sharp and Laurie Lott (on…

Coliene Rentmeester stands by her Rodeo Grounds house

Coliene Rentmeester empties the trunk of her car in the driveway of her house at 3715 Rodeo Grounds. Her boyfriend Tom watches from the front door.

Unknown artist painting, "Something's Fishy Here," 1970s

A watercolor painting shows The Spaghetti Joint, an Italian restaurant located at 18763 PCH, and Something's Fishy Here seafood restaurant at 18753 PCH, beside the Topanga Lagoon bridge.

Lisa Adams sits on the lap of Peter Townend

Lisa Adams sits on the lap of Peter "PT" Townend at Topanga Beach. Both hold onto surfboards.

J. Riddle smiles for a portrait and surfs a wave

Topanga Beach surfer J. Riddle smiles for a portrait and surfs a wave.

Topanga Beach houses with broken windows

Topanga Beach houses with broken windows will be demolished in January or February 1979, according to a handwritten note lamenting, "They did it!" A catamaran is parked in front.

Seagulls fly above a surfer walking towards a breaking wave

Seagulls fly above a surfer walking on the rocks at low tide towards a breaking wave at Topanga Beach.

Cynnie Troup and Ronne Troup sit on Topanga Beach

Sisters Cynnie and Ronne Troup sit on Topanga Beach with Ronne's dog Smiley. Behind them is a Daniel Wenger Cube, a furniture sculpture designed in 1970 to hold a hammock.

Jim Campbell, Ronne Troup, Cynnie Troup, and Peter

Jim Campbell, sisters Ronne and Cynnie Troup (topless), and Peter [SURNAME?] sit in a rowboat on the nude beach at Topanga Beach.

Cynnie Troup talks on the phone at her beach house

Cynnie Troup talks on the telephone and smokes a cigarette in the living room of her Topanga Beach house.

Norman Ollestad plays Poker at Topanga Beach

Norman Ollestad Sr. (right) plays Poker at Topanga Beach. His son Norman Jr. looks at his cards.

Ginger Snips Salon & Spa ad, 1979

Ginger Snips Salon & Spa specialized in hair cuts, hair coloring, French braiding, permanent waving for men and women. It was located across from Topanga Beach at 18763 PCH. Malibu.

Topanga Beach houses in ruins

The headline on the cover of the "Messenger" newspaper asks, "Topanga Beach: Did Anyone Win?" which was also the title of an article by Donna Dunwoody criticizing State Parks' eviction of the residents. A photo shows beach houses and a volleyball net…

Garth Shannon's family smiles in front of their house, 2/2

Garth Shannon and his mother stand behind their family for a group photo in front of the house at 18638 W. Topanga Beach Rd., where he lived from the 1940s to the early 1950s. Garth's wife and daughter (b. 1944) sit second and third from right.

Garth Shannon's family smiles in front of their house, 1/2

Garth Shannon's family smiles for a group photo in front of the house at 18638 W. Topanga Beach Rd., where he lived from the 1940s to the early 1950s. His wife and mother sit in the back at right.

Garth Shannon was a Topanga Beach fisherman

Garth Shannon stands by Topanga Beach houses, shirtless and wearing shorts. He enjoyed fishing and catching abalone on the beach, where he lived from the 1940s to the early 1950s.

Gail Fisher and Christopher Connelly walk steps in "Mannix"

Gail Fisher and Christopher Connelly cross a wooden stile to get to the house at 3767 Rodeo Grounds, in a still from "Mannix," a detective TV series on CBS, Season 6, Episode 9: "One Step to Midnight," which aired on November 12, 1972.

The house's…

Christopher Connelly runs from police cars in "Mannix"

Christopher Connelly runs from police cars as they approach a dry Topanga Creek bed on the dirt road of the Rodeo Grounds, in a still from "Mannix," a detective TV series on CBS, Season 6, Episode 9: "One Step to Midnight," which aired on November…

English John leans on his 1966 VW Kombi van

Surfer "English John" C. Peacock wears trunks and leans on his 1966 Volkswagen Kombi van. An Englishman, he lived in The Rodeo Grounds.

English John surfs a Kevlar thruster board at Topanga Beach

"English John" C. Peacock surfs a Topanga Beach wave on a 6'4" Kevlar thruster board shaped by Robbie Dick. An Englishman, he lived in The Rodeo Grounds.

Dave Sanderson, circulations manager at "The Argonaut"

Dave Sanderson was the self-proclaimed Mayor of the Snake Pit.

He worked as the circulation manager for "The Argonaut" newspaper. He sold his first newspaper at the age of six on the corner of 9th and Union Streets in downtown Los Angeles, and…

LAAC raises Paul Sanderson's rent at 3917 Topanga Lane

Paul Sanderson receives a letter from Robert van Buskirk of Topanga Ranch (a division of The Los Angeles Athletic Club, LAAC), notifying him of a rent increase on his house at 3917 S. Topanga Canyon Lane in The Snake Pit.

Something's Fishy Here ad, 1977, 3/3

Something's Fishy Here restaurant advertises Hiro Sushi, opening in June at the counter, including sushi, tempura, and sashimi, across from Topanga Beach at 18753 PCH, Malibu.

Aerial view of Topanga Beach, 1979

An aerial view of Topanga Beach shows the Topanga Lagoon, George's Market, the Topanga Ranch Motel, the Malibu Feed Bin, and the entrance to Topanga Canyon.

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

A hang glider lands on Las Tunas Beach, by the groin in the sand, in a photo from the article "Fly Like an Eagle" by Bill Hess. The Las Tunas Isle Motel is at right (18904 PCH).

Something's Fishy Here ad, 1977, 2/3

Something's Fishy Here restaurant advertises Hiro Sushi, opening June 1, 1977, at the counter, including sushi, sashimi, miso soup, and tempura, across from Topanga Beach at 18753 PCH, Malibu.

Something's Fishy Here ad, 1977, 1/3

Something's Fishy Here restaurant and fresh fish market advertises "informal candlelight dining" across from Topanga Beach, at 18753 PCH, Malibu.

Topanga Beach houses are bordered by catamaran masts

Topanga Beach houses are bordered by catamaran masts on one side and telephone poles on the other.

Topanga Elementary School, 1953

Mr. Leon Hendrix’s 6th grade classroom (c. 1953 ) sits at their desks at Topanga Elementary School, in a building behind the main Hillside Dr. location.

1st row:
Annie Rosenquist, Robert England, Mary Lou Morgan, unknown, Aura Lee Freedman, Pam…

Topanga Elementary School, 1952

Mrs. Florence Bruinslot’s 4th grade classroom ( 1952-1953 ) sits at their desks at Topanga Elementary School, in a building behind the main Hillside Dr. location.

1st row (by the windows):
Raymond Hoover, Toni Loudon, Maryann Gary, Dave…

Lance Carson, Robbie Dick, Jim Ganzer, and Denny Aaberg

Surfers Lance Carson, Robbie Dick, Jim Ganzer, and Denny Aaberg hug while filming second unit photography in El Salvador for the film "Big Wednesday" (1978).

A truck gets stuck in Topanga Creek

A truck gets stuck in Topanga Creek while trying to drive into The Rodeo Grounds.

Aerial view of Topanga Beach, 1972

An aerial view of Topanga Beach shows the Topanga Lagoon, Sunset Mesa, Las Tunas Beach, and the entrance to Topanga Canyon.

John Puklus does a top turn on a big wave

Surfer John Puklus does a top turn on a big wave at Topanga Beach.

Surfers John Puklus, Paul Lovas, and Skip Smith

Surfers John Puklus, Paul Lovas, and Skip Smith sit by a Topanga Beach house. Behind them are Anne Fuchs ("Bunny") (by the red surfboard), Bonnie Vincent, and Jan-Michael Vincent.

Surfers take a group photo at The Yellow House

Surfers take a group photo at The Yellow House.

ON THE DECK:
George Trafton, J. Murf, Torger Johnson, Woody Woodward, Jeff Miller, and Matt Lasky.

A 1947 Chevrolet car is covered up by arundo

A dusty 1947 Chevrolet car is covered up by arundo in The Snake Pit.

Connie Bantilan visits Paulina Wingard's family and friends

Connie Bantilan, her sister Paulina Wingard, Eddie Wingard, Scott Grady, Aurora Glassock, and Jarnell Wingard take a group photo in front of the Wingards' Topanga Beach house.

Jarnell Wingard and Aurora Glassock hold puppies

Jarnell Wingard and Aurora Glassock hold puppies in their laps at Topanga Beach.

Eddie Wingard's Topanga Beach house, 3/3

Eddie Wingard lies in a hammock in front of his Topanga Beach house.

Aurora Glassock and Jarnell Wingard hug

Aurora Glassock and Jarnell Wingard hug in front of Jarnell's Topanga Beach house.

Herb Bermann and Ray Casser hug

Neighbors Herb Bermann and Ray Casser hug in The Rodeo Grounds. Herb co-wrote the lyrics for the album "Safe as Milk" by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band (1967).

Sunny Voriotis, a hippie in The Rodeo Grounds

Sunny Voriotis, a hippie in The Rodeo Grounds, has long hair, a beard, and wears a straw hat.

Eddie Wingard's Topanga Beach house, 2/3

Surfers standing in front of Eddie Wingard's Topanga Beach house are framed by driftwood and arundo.

Eddie Wingard's Topanga Beach house, 1/3

Eddie Wingard (right) stands with friends in front of his Topanga Beach house. Surfboards rest on the bulkhead.

Herb and Barbara Bermann at home in The Rodeo Grounds

Herb Bermann and his wife Barbara lived in The Rodeo Grounds. Herb co-wrote the lyrics for the album "Safe as Milk" by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band (1967).

Looking out the window of a Topanga Beach house

From the window of a Topanga Beach house, a wave can be seen breaking.

Aimee Semple McPherson's Las Tunas Beach house

Evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson's recuperated from a nervous breakdown in this Las Tunas Beach house in 1930.

Greebe and Moommy surf club mascots

The mascots of the Greebe and Moommy surf club at Topanga Beach were a brass grebe's head and Bob Feigel's dog Moommy.

David H. Stern squawks at The Greebe at Topanga Beach

David H. Stern squawks at The Greebe, buried in the sand. The brass grebe's head was the co-mascot of the Greebe and Moommy surf club at Topanga Beach.

David H. Stern and Bob Feigel of Greebe and Moommy

The Greebe attacks Bob Feigel (with slight assistance from David H. Stern). The brass grebe's head was the co-mascot of the Greebe and Moommy surf club at Topanga Beach.

Woody Woodward hangs heels on a Makaha skateboard

Woody Woodward hangs heels on a Makaha skateboard at Topanga Beach.

Las Tunas Isle Motel rates

Las Tunas Isle Motel rates for their themed rooms...

Malayan Room
Beach House
Black and Gold Room
Big Bam
The Hut
Little Bam
Jungle Room
Leopard Room
Deck Room
Lotus Room
Marine Room
Jade Room
Amber Room

18904 Pacific Coast…

Las Tunas Isle Motel letterhead

Las Tunas Isle Motel letterhead shows the swimming pool and a map.

Mr. and Mrs. Marc R. Stuby, management
18904 Pacific Coast Highway
Las Tunas Beach
Malibu

A shirtless man carries two children on his shoulders

A shirtless man carries two children on his shoulders, one with a red umbrella, in the yard of a house on Topanga Lane (The Snake Pit).