- Title
- Lagoon, showing gondola and Race through the Clouds, Venice, Cal.
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- Description
- View of the grand lagoon in Venice, California looking toward the south. Tourists ride in a gondola on the lagoon. Four empty rowboats appear on the right side of the image. The Race thru the Clouds roller coaster appears on the bank of the lagoon.
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- Physical description
- 1 postcard : Color ; 9 x 14 cm.
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- Subject
- Canals--California--Los Angeles; Gondolas--California--Los Angeles; Boats and boating--California--Los Angeles; Roller coasters--California--Los Angeles;
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- Note
- Originally part of the Ocean Park district of Santa Monica, Abbot Kinney's vision of Venice in America was developed starting in 1904, complete with a canal system and singing gondoliers. Canal construction began in 1904, and in 1905 construction of an amusement pier began. Another amusement area was built on the shore of the grand lagoon, which later became the Venice traffic circle. Known as the Midway Plaisance, this amusement area was torn down in 1910 to be replaced by a roller coaster. The Race thru the Clouds coaster opened on July 4, 1911. It was the first racing roller coaster on the West Coast. Over the years several improvements were made to the roller coaster to make it steeper and faster. It operated until 1924, when it was torn down. By 1929, many of the canals in Venice had been filled in and paved as roads due to health and engineering problems.
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- Collection Location
- Werner von Boltenstern Postcard Collection
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- Type
- ["Postcards"]
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- Geographic Location
- Venice (Los Angeles, Calif.)
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- Language
- eng
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Lagoon, showing gondola and Race through the Clouds, Venice, Cal.
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