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On the Pike at Long Beach after quake

 
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Title
On the Pike at Long Beach after quake
Date
1933
Description
Earthquake damage on the Pike. The facade of a building in the foreground has fallen away completely, and fallen bricks cover the street. On the right is a street lamp whose large central bulb has come off, and is on a bench in the foreground. Signs on the buildings, some of them hanging askew, advertise "Down's Wonder Soap and Cosmetics,"Sadoc Master Tonic adds long life & health," and "Gift Souvenirs."
Format Extent
1 postcard : b&w ; 9 x 14 cm.
Subject
Earthquakes--California--Long Beach; Long Beach Earthquake, Calif., 1933; Earthquake damage--California--Long Beach;
Note
Before 1866, most of what is now Long Beach was part of two ranchos: Los Cerritos and Los Alamitos. By the 1880s portions of Rancho Los Cerritos were sold, subdivided and developed under the name of Willmore City by William Wilmore in 1882. By 1888, the population had voted to incorporate the city and rename it the City of Long Beach. By the early 20th century, Long Beach had become a popular seaside resort as well as a major shipping port. It was home to a boardwalk-style amusement known as the Pike, which included a roller coaster, bath house, and carousel. At 5:54pm on March 10, 1933, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck the Newport-Inglewood fault zone. Severe property damage occurred at Compton, Long Beach, and other areas, causing serious damage." Property damage was estimated at $40 million, and 115 people were killed. Damage to school buildings, which were among the structures most commonly and severely damaged by this earthquake, led to the State Legislature passing the Field Act, which regulates building-construction practices in California.
Collection
Werner von Boltenstern Postcard Collection
Type
Geographic Location
Long Beach (Calif.); Pike, The (Long Beach, Calif. : Amusement park)
Language
eng
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