MANHATTAN BEACH
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
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Phone: (310)
374-7575
Cottage Address: 1601
Manhattan Beach Boulevard, Manhattan Beach, California 90266
Mailing
Address: Post Office Box 3355, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
E-mail: history90266@yahoo.com
The Manhattan Beach Historical
Society began as a committee in the early 1970s and incorporated as a nonprofit
organization in 1977, dedicated to preserve and promote the
heritage of Manhattan Beach. The Society is headquartered in the 1905 historic beach
cottage located in Polliwog Park at 1601 Manhattan Beach Boulevard.
For
maps to the historical society cottage click here.
Although our operating expenses have risen, we have not raised our membership dues since the 1970s. There are very few historical societies that have membership dues of only $10 per year with activities such as ours.
For an application
to join the Manhattan Beach Historical Society, click here.
The MBHS is a member of the Conference of California Historical
Societies, Associated Historical Societies of Los
Angeles County, California Historical Society, and
the Los Angeles Conservancy.
MUSEUM HOURS, COLLECTIONS AND ACTIVITIES:
Special Cottage Holiday Hours are:
Open Saturdays & Sundays, Noon to 3:00 p.m. through December 19, 2004.
Closed Saturday & Sunday, December 25 and 26, 2004.
Closed Saturday & Sunday, January 1 and 2, 2005.
Regular hours begin on Saturday & Sunday, January 8 and 9, 2005, Noon to
3:00 p.m.
In addition, the Manhattan Beach Historical Society will be exhibiting in the Manhattan Beach Civic
Annex Building located at Valley Drive and 15th Street during the
weekdays. The hours are:
December 06 through 10 - Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
December 13 through 17 - Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
December 20 through 22 - Monday - Wednesday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The museum within the cottage is normally open 12 noon to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The Society consists of all-volunteer help. Its main purpose is to educate citizens on the history of Manhattan Beach. The Society uses the following teaching tools: artifact and photo displays, books, videos, films, old newspaper articles, and recordings of history. The Society holds free monthly meetings with qualified speakers covering various subjects from our past and we have a monthly newsletter which members participate in by writing us. Several times a year, we have bus tours to historic sites. The Society has published
two hard cover pictorial history books: Manhattan
Beach 90266 and I'll Take Manhattan and a series of
monographs. Free information flyers for the
public, old memorbilia and knowledgeable docents are
the teaching tools of the Society.
MONTHY AND FIELD TRIP PROGRAMS
Our
meetings are on the fourth Thursday of the month starting at 7:00 p.m. in the 1905
historic beach cottage located at 1601 Manhattan Beach Boulevard, Manhattan
Beach, California. The meetings are free and the public is invited. Bring a
friend!
Due to the holidays, there will not be any regular MBHS monthly meetings in November or December.
Thursday, January 27, 2005. Roger Freeley will give a program "Saving Our Museum and How We Can Do it!" Historian Roger Freeley is the author of the book California's Golden Museums. After studying the California Museum Association List for 2002-2003 and discovering that our state lost 150 museums that year, Roger Freeley proceeded to write his book.
Beside being an author, historian and Toastmaster, Mr. Freeley is currently the librarian for the Costa Mesa Historical Society. He is also the future archivist for the Queen Mary with that position starting tentatively in January 2005.
FEATURED TEMPORARY EXHIBIT
Metlox Potteries Dinnerware - Metlox Potteries built a factory in
Manhattan Beach, California in 1927. They began by manufacturing large
outdoor ceramic advertising signs such as the Pantages Theater sign in
Hollywood. The demand for the ceramic signs dwindled during the Great
Depression. In 1932, the company began the production of dinnerware and
competed with other pottery companies such as Catalina, Franciscan, etc.
Metlox was the last of the five largest California pottery companies to
close their doors. They closed in June 1989.
On display is "Christmas Past." Relics from Christmas of the 1930s
through the 1950s are featured. Disney Cinderella and Mickey Mouse tree
lights with plastic light shades of the Disney characters in their
original boxes featuring wonderful color graphics are part of the
display. Vintage bubble lights that were so popular in the 1950s and a
beautiful 1940 angel tree top and many other relics are presented. The
Metlox Budweiser wagon drawn by six gold trimmed Draft horses along with
Metlox Santa cookie jars and sleds are a must to see. All items are on
loan from the private collection of George and Bonnie Beckerson.
WEB REFERENCE MATERIALS:
If you would like information on the general history of the City of Manhattan Beach, including some pictures,
click here
To learn more about the Old George Look Alike Contest which took place on July 13, 2002, click here
If you would like to join the Manhattan Beach Historical Society, click here
If you would like information about two interesting and
detailed books published by the Manhattan Beach Historical Society illustrating
area history, click here
If you would like information about the history of oil
exploration in the area,
click here
If you would like information on the Blanton Duncan Ranch and its Folklore,
click here
If you would like information on treasure hunts for stolen Confederate gold on the past Blanton Duncan Ranch, refer to the 8/13/52 Daily Breeze article and
click here
If you would like information about the history of Giant
Black Sea Bass and the Manhattan Beach Piers,
click here
If you would like information about the history of Manhattan
Beach as posted on the city's webpage,
click here
.