For the past year, Palos Verdes, California (and the South Bay area in general) has been recurring theme on this blog (the most recent post was this one). PV was my family's home from 1960 to 1973. When my great-grandmother Elsie passed away in 1973, she asked that the house be sold and that her ashes be spread over the Pacific Ocean near PV. Her three children respected those wishes. Both of her daughters remained in California, but neither one lived in Palos Verdes again. As a child, I don't remember visiting PV very much. I think the first trip we made up the peninsula was in 1994, but I remember that it had a huge impact on me. I wanted to visit PV during every vacation, but I think we only visited one or two other times before Joan's death in 2003. After our first California vacation together in 2005, Jonathan and I began spending more time in the South Bay area, and our day trips to PV became highlights. The combination of the natural beauty of the coastline and the pristine mid-century California homes captured our hearts. After scanning so many film slides over the past few months, it became clear to me that we are drawn there for other reasons as well. It is part of our history and our family's story.
La Venta Inn in Palos Verdes, California around 1960.
Palos Verdes, California circa 1960.
Elsie's home in Palos Verdes, circa 1960.
A view of the South Bay - Redondo, Hermosa and Manhattan Beaches -- from Palos Verdes, circa 1960.
Elsie at the beach, circa 1960.
Looking up the hill from Elsie's backyard, circa 1960.
Beautiful mid-century Palos Verdes homes, circa 1960.
A view of Elsie's backyard in Palos Verdes, taken around 1960.
Another view of the South Bay, taken around 1960.
Malaga Cove Plaza, circa 1960.
And just for fun...a recent shot of the same fountain!
Also in Malaga Cove Plaza was the Palos Verdes General Store, circa 1960.
Here's the same building in recent years.
A view of La Venta Inn, looking down over Elsie's house, circa 1960.
Me and Jonathan in that same spot on our first trip to PV together in 2005. Elsie's house is to our right with the skylight.
All of the above images from 1960 are from our family's film archives and were scanned and converted to digital images by Gerald and Joan. If you are interested in having us scan and preserve your family's film slides or images, contact us here. The recent images of California were taken by my mother.