Long Beach Album Photo, Side One

Over the years, I have often written about my displeasure when antique dealers cut up photo albums.  Well it's time to do it again.  Please, I know you can make more money selling individual photos but come on, there's history here that should be preserved as a whole.

So back to this photo.  It's been cut from an album.  It's still pasted to a section of the page.  There's another photo on the other side, which well be the next post.  This one is captioned, "Red Star Yeast, Long Beach, Cal. 1914."  I doubt that this man was an employee of the company.  I looked it up, and the star on the man's bathing suit looks just like the one on the Red Star Yeast logo.  Just speculation, but I'm guessing that this album was put together by a woman, because, what man would see that star and think of baking.  Well a baker maybe, but the handwriting is kind of fine and delicate.

Is that the photographer's thumb?

What Kind of Boat Is This?

I bought this one because I like boats.  No other reason.  When I got it home and put the magnifying glass to it, I thought it might be from the Pacific northwest.  It looks like the boat's name is Orcas.  I assume that's a variation on Orca, and, since before a few decades ago, most of the country used killer whale....well, who knows it's just a guess.  It looks like it has a steam engine.  

On the Sea, On the Sea, On the Beautiful Sea

And I can't remember the next line from the song.  With the open deck seating, this has to be a photograph of a ferry.  Purchased in southern California, it's probable that it's a Catalina Island run, but it could be from the bay area or even the east coast.  Also, take a look at the pier in the background.  The steel pillars in the upper left corner could be some sort of amusement ride.  I know ships docked at the Santa Monica Pier, and at one time the water, that close to shore, was so clean that boat passengers would throw coins in the water, and kids would dive for them.  At least that was a story told to me by a very old man which may or may not be true.  I want to believe it, but I have my doubts.