Postcard: Venice, California

 

I woke up this morning and almost forgetting that it was time for P&C's Postcard of the Week...how does this happen? I don't know, but I thought I needed to bring something fun to the day to punch it up, so I went through the stack of postcards on my desk (yes, it's a stack) and found the one above. I'm happy to say that this shot still brings me a chuckle every time I look at it.

Although it was sent to me in 1998 this shot isn't dated. But, from the clothes and hairstyles I'd venture this was taken in the very early 1980s. On the reverse side, the photo and copyright are by Jeffrey Stanton - a famous photographer and historian of Venice, California. (Stanton even has a whole article discussing collectible postcards from the Venice Beach area!) "Disco Roller Skating" obviously shows a particular moment in time when the uber-pop trends of disco and roller skating intermingled into one.

I suppose the Venice area has been on my mind lately; I recently watched Dogtown and Z-Boys on the Sundance Channel, and have been thinking about what a strange, wonderful spot we have in that little area of California. Abbott Kinney developed the land specifically for artists, and for the past 100 years or so it's been a vibrant display of freak flags large and small. I need to spend more time down there...

Comments

[Erin]

Lovin' that postcard. Makes me want roller skates.