Special Events

Book Cover with aerial image of the Santa Monica Pier and surrounding beach

 Author James Harris, Santa Monica Pier: America’s Last Great Pleasure Pier

2024
Wednesday, July 17, 6 pm – 8 pm

Santa Monica History Museum welcomes author and historian James Harris as he presents the highly anticipated expanded edition of his celebrated book,
“Santa Monica Pier: America’s Last Great Pleasure Pier.”

The Santa Monica Pier embodies a compelling saga of resilience—battling forces of nature and political currents, adapting through evolving times. More than a tourist attraction, it has become a tangible slice of history, embodying the spirit of resilience and adaptation that defines California.

With a poignant foreword penned by Robert Redford, a champion of the pier’s preservation efforts during the tumultuous, Harris’s new edition stands as a definitive compendium of the pier’s rich history and cultural significance.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase. This event is FREE, and includes time for visitors to explore museum exhibitions.

About the Author: James Harris is the official historian of the Santa Monica Pier as well as the Executive Director of the Pier Restoration Corporation. He is a multi-talented executive and producer with a background in event concepts and management.

Special Events

Graphic - words Dia De Los Muertos / Day of the Dead

Sand Rush: The Revival of the Beach in Twentieth-Century Los Angeles

2024
Saturday, May 11, at 2:00 PM

Historian Elsa Devienne will present her new book “Sand Rush: The Revival of the Beach in Twentieth-Century Los Angeles” at the Santa Monica History Museum on Saturday, May 11, at 2:00 PM.

 Drawing from historical archives, anthropology, and cultural artifacts, Devienne showcases the beach’s pivotal role in urban history and its impact on issues such as real estate, race, environmental conservation, and modern beauty standards.
 
The book explores the formation of a “beach lobby” in the 1930s, which spearheaded efforts to reclaim and clean the beaches, paving the way for their modernization as havens for a mostly white, heterosexual middle class. Devienne also examines the cultural significance of Muscle Beach and the rise of surf culture, which helped shape Hollywood’s portrayal of physical beauty and leisure.
 
About the Author: Elsa Devienne is no stranger to accolades, having won the prestigious Willi Paul Adams Award from the Organization of American Historians for her outstanding contributions to American history. She is an Assistant Professor in US History at Northumbria University. Devienne is a sought-after expert, frequently appearing on radio, podcasts, and TV shows to discuss her research in both English and French.