Can you identify what decade this picture was from based on the clothes worn?

This is a picture taken at Santa Monica, California. (It hangs in Peets Coffee Shop on Main Street now)

It’s at the Santa Monica Rings (aka the Original Muscle Beach) right on the sand. The earliest it can be would be from the 1930′s as that’s when the adult playground was built.

For those interested in what is actually happening in the picture: The guy is swinging on the Flying Rings. If you take the gymnastics Still Rings and swing them, the sport is called Flying Rings. You could pump yourself up to those heights, or get a push and then pump yourself up further.

The Flying Rings were banned in the Olympics (and many other competitions) by the early 1960′s due to the great dismounts/flyaways the swingers could achieve (up to 20 feet high) as the chance of hurting themselves or dying was very high, especially in a competitive setting.

With that said though, that doesn’t mean people don’t play on them. The flying rings are alive and kicking to this day at the santa monica rings, and I play on them as well. Here’s a buddy of mine demonstrating what it’s like just a few weeks ago at a typical Sunday.

Now, back to the picture. Other than the clothes people are wearing, if somebody knows what buildings exist/didn’t exist in this picture, then maybe that’s another way to figure out what decade or year it’s from. It looks like the LAX control tower could be seen on the right side, down the coast. And I’m not sure what that hotel is on the left. Even the Original Muscle Beach looks very different. Who knows how many times those rigs were replaced over 80 years time. Only more proof that change is the only constant.

Andrew

I used to live at the end of Navy Street in Venice, just on the other side of the two buildings at the end of the acrobat’s arms. Those buildings– The Shores apartments– are an easy way to tell that you’re almost halfway to the Venice Pier from the Santa Monica Pier.
According to this 1999 LA Times article, the buildings were built in the mid-1960s.
http://articles.latimes.com/1999/may/18/business/fi-38313
Thanks for the nostalgic post, and for reminding me of Peet’s on Main Street, which was hands-down my biggest celebrity-spotting coffee shop in town.
ATS
Andrew

One more thing: the pier in the background is/was the Pacific Ocean Park, which was situated just a little bit south of The Shores. That was demolished, and the rides auctioned off, in 1974/75, so I guess your decade is somewhere between 1964–1974. Ta daaa!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ocean_Park

Can you identify what decade this picture was from based on the clothes worn?

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My favorite tools for acing anatomy class

	Anatomy Quickstudy Reference Guide Antranik says: In six laminated pages, you could review every label for every system that you’ll ever be tested on.

	Anatomy Flashcards Antranik says: 300 full color, detailed flash cards, organized by systems. These may be more useful than your $150 Anatomy book.