Tom Moran and Tom Sewell Fantasy by the Sea Peace Press: Culver City, CA, 1980 (1979) (Originally published by Beyond Baroque Foundation with a grant from the Visual Arts Program of the National Endowment for the Arts) 1905
"In March of 1905, an equinoctial storm pummeled the Southern California coast. All of the coastal towns reported damage, but the worst-hit was . . . Venice . . .
" . . . Kinney . . . asked the War Department in Washington for permission to build a breakwater . . .
"Two days after the storm, [word] arrived that the breakwater had been granted.
" . . .
"The breakwater was formed from 70,000 tons of granite brought by railroad from Hollywood quarries. The auditorium was rebuilt in an amazing 28 days . . .
"A landscape architect, Robert Armstrong, was hired . . . Clarence Eddy of New York was brought in to dedicate the new organ in the auditorium and Nina Adams was scheduled to christen the Ship Hotel.
"On June 30th, 1905, Kinney's wife Margaret turned the handwheel of a valve, sluicing salt water into the canals . . .
July 4, 1905
" . . .
"The auditorium was filled to capacity. Benjamin Fay Mills, an evangelist that Edward Everett Hale [called] "the most wonderful preacher in America,"addressed the crowd. . . . the Venice Children's Chorus sang "Hail Columbia" and the "Battle Hymn of the Republic." . . . Sydney Wrightson and Genevra Bishop sang . . .
" . . . 40,000 visitors strolled around this new resort . . .
"Realtors reported that 355 Venice lots had been sold in two hours.
". . ."
Windward Avenue
". . .
Canals
" . . .
"Concrete bridges with reliefs of animal figures and sea serpents sculptured by Felix Peano . . .
Ship Hotel
" . . .
"The Ship . . . first proprietor, Carlo Marchetti, had operated a restaurant at the Louisiana Purchase Expostion in St. Louis . . . Charges that he ran gambling devices, served poor food and allowed the private dining areas to be used for illicit activities were made against Marchetti. He also alledgedly siphoned off profits before they reached Abbot Kinney, who owned the building.
"Marchetti was forced out and a number of proprietors, including Frank Lawton, Joseph Prada, Ward McFadden and Baron Long operated the Ship as a profitable night spot.
Venice Pier
" . . .
Villa City
" . . .
Venice Bathhouse
" . . .
The Venice Assembly
" . . .
" . . . The Assembly was a series of educational and cultural presentations modeled after the popular Chautauqua programs in New York State. Lectures, music and other entertainment were combined to give the program mass appeal.
"Benjamin Fay Mills was in charge of the Assembly, and he scheduled lectures by Susan B. Anthony, poet Joaquin Miller and educator Dr. Josiah Strong as well as lantern slide shows, a woman's orchestra, readings from Macbeth and operatic singers . . .
" . . . the Venice Auditorium . . . seating capacity of 3,400 and featured an opulent curtain designed by artist Felix Peano and an expensive organ advertised as capable of playing the "bird chorus."
[photo: Arend's Venice Band Season 1905: Thirty-two members including Arend himself]