"One-of-Those"
Fishing on a Pier, Long Beach, California, c. 1915
This old photograph is "one-a-those"; by that I mean, it's one of those that makes me (personally) wish I could jump into it, speak to (primarily) the guy in the hat staring at the camera, then the rest of the fisher-folk on down the pier.
As "one-of-those", it makes me wonder (in this case), what the Pacific Ocean-air smelled like back in the day, how the fish were bitin' (or not), what kinds of fish were they after, what these folks did when they weren't fishing, and, if they had any idea what it would be like a hundred years from the time of that moment on the pier.
This particular photo (a glass slide) is in bad shape -- I cleaned it up the best I could and am half pleased that I got it to where I did (and no further) because in its somewhat aged/injured state, it maintains the charm of a view of "yesteryear".
But I am half displeased in that I wish it were in perfect condition.
I may create a stylized version, one that preserves the subject but which obfuscates the flaws.
If anyone likes photos of the "one-of-those" variety, say so and I will go through my restorations and find and post more.
All Rights Reserved/A. Macarthur
Tags
Who is online
445 visitors
Ever experience the feeling evoked by "one-of-those"?
I love it Mac, having lived in Long Beach for a number of years, I've done a lot of fishing there. Opal Eye Perch, mackerel are what we would catch, along with the occasional shark or ray.
By the looks of that tackle, they were after the big kind. Those reels look like winches. The dresses, shirt and tie knocks me out.Thanks for sharing.
Mac, I think I met that guy, still standing in the same position, in the same spot, in 1970. A truly dedicated fisherman would never leave his spot while the fish are biting.
The girl in the foreground looks like she figures that the fish are napping, so she should too.
I always love the old black and white from a time gone by.
I was thinking more like "someone told her 'fish or cut bait'" so she you know was cutting bait.
Egilman,
The handwritten caption on the slide matting says, "Long Beach, Cal." From other slides, I know the family was in California in 1915 for the Panama Canal/California Exposition.
Thanks for the clarification; and always feel free to correct any incorrect or suspect caption I may post.
Love the hat and the lady bending over in the dress! Like you, I wish I were there!
Mac,
Notice that all of the rods and reels look alike. That suggests that whoever owned the pier also had a concession to rent equipment, and probably sold buckets of bait too. Most of the people fishing were likely local residents of the Long Beach area, although that area was quite a tourist area during the first half of the 20th Century, so some may have been tourists from other parts of the country trying their hand at ocean fishing.
Probably right on both counts although I'd speculate that back in the day, rod/reel choices were not like today.
Love the comments evoked by the old photos; they're still alive!
Thought you might enjoy this photo of the LB Pier. Not sure of the year, but it had to be after 1930, since the square white building was build around 1930 to 35.
Great addition! The more one image generates others, the more interesting and fun the discussion becomes.
Here is another one Mac. Long Beach, those are oil wells in the background. That area is called Signal Hill.
Not sure of the year.
Keep 'em coming! "Yesteryear" is a fascinating subject especially in pictures.
The 1933 earthquake. 6.3 and devastated Long Beach.