Balboa Island Museum & Historical Society

Newport Beach and Balboa Island have always been Spring Break hot spots for locals and tourists.A look into mid century activities -- visit us in person to learn more about what we like to call, Bal Week #balboaislandmuseum #BIM #balboaisland #newportbeach #historicalsociety #springbreak

Last week's When Was It Wednesday was taken from the Balboa Peninsula looking towards Balboa Island sometime in the early 1920s. The water tower visible on the Island was removed after 1929.

Check out these Bathing Beauties! Much like how they attracted lot buyers to the island in the 20s, these pieces of art on display in our window have been selling fast! Free admission always #balboaislandmuseum #BIM #balboaisland #newportbeach #historicalsociety #bathingbeauties

Corona del Mar once had a ferry dock located between what is now China Cove and the present-day Coast Guard station. The long, narrow wooden dock was the landing point for ferries that launched from the Balboa Pavilion, carrying visitors to the beaches and Corona del Mar hotel (later the Palisades Tavern). This dock was also the sight of the famous drowning of the wife and son of Dr. Lowell C. Frost, who went on to establish the Newport Beach Lifeguards. The landing was destroyed in the 1920s during a storm and was never rebuilt.

Hey everyone! It's Wednesday, so let's play When Was It Wednesday. Can anyone name where and approximately where this photograph was taken? Answers will be posted next Tuesday.

New Art Installation Check out this bright new corner of our museum Why an umbrella? Come find out! Free admission always

Camping in 1911 was a very different experience from now. If you were going to camp on Balboa Island, for example, while you built your house as this family chose to, camping was going to be much more upscale experience. You were also likely to be camping for several weeks to a month, so comfort was a must.

https://www.balboaislandmuseum.org/events/ Help support non-profits!

Giving Tuesday! Support the Balboa Island Museum a Non-Profit Organization! https://www.balboaislandmuseum.org/events/

Alright everyone, starting today the #BIMHS would like to invite everyone to play a game! It's called When Was It and the photographs will be posted on Wednesdays. We will post a photograph and everyone can try to guess when (and sometimes where) it was taken! Here's the First photograph. Can anyone guess when this was taken?

10 Minute History Talks Episode 17 It's All About Time Part 2 Celeste highlights the meanings and origins associated with days of the week and months of the year!

The Balboa Island Museum is named one of the best Museums in Orange County's OC Readers' Choice 2020! https://www.latimes.com//best-of-times-oc-2020-entertainme

10 Minute History Talks! Episode 16 "It's All About Time" Part 1 https://youtu.be/v5ZTTupLTAo

From our newest virtual exhibit "Before & After Cottages of Balboa Island". 318 Marine Avenue, better known as Dad's, was not always a bakery. Originally in the 1930s, Dad's Donuts was a private residence. It did not become a bakery until later. 901 North Bay Front, once better known as the Light House, was built by the Spencer family and offered as a retreat house for members of their church. When the house was eventually torn down, the replacement was designed to honor the ...original. Come see the rest of the exhibit at the Balboa Island Museum from 10am to 4pm Monday-Thursday and 10 am to 5 pm Friday-Sunday.

Honoring all who served, Thank you Veterans! To all Veterans, we salute you! All Veterans will receive a 20% discount in the Museum Store on November 11th, Veterans Day!

Introducing our newest digital exhibit: Before & After Cottages of Balboa Island. The exhibit features photographs from the archive side by side with photographs taken between 2012 and 2014 as part of a documentary project organized by the museum. Now on display as a virtual exhibit at the museum.

Established in 1933, the South Coast Shipyard is one of the older shipyards in Newport Beach. They have a history of both building and maintaining everything from civilian to navy ships. This photograph, taken around the 1950s or 60s, shows the construction of a new yacht. The ribs alone take three people to machine, two to control the wood and one to watch the machine to ensure no mistakes are made.

**We are very excited to feature The Wyland Foundation Art and Merchandise in our Museum Gallery!** The Museum celebrates the work and legacy of the Foundation and its founder, renowned artist and conservationist, Wyland. "Everyone can find inspiration in our ocean and waterways."... _Wyland_ See more

Most people can recognize the Balboa Island Yacht Club perpetual trophies, but what about these? Before the perpetual trophies were in rotation, small trophies like these would be awarded to participants every year to keep. These particular trophies were awarded in 1954 for rowing (middle), swimming (right) and paddle-boarding (left).

From about the 1930s to 1989, there was a gas station on the corner of Park and Marine where the Fire Station now sits. This station went through two managers in its life, Cox- the first owner who opened it some time in the 1930s as a small gas station and repair shop, and Jim Jennings- who took control of the station in 1959. Jim was popular and knew many of his local customers well. After the service station was closed, Jim compiled many of these stories into a book called Old Balboa Island Stories: tales from 1905 to the Millennium.

These guys aren't dressing up just to go out on their boat. In November, 1965, the first Volstead Parade made its round in the Newport Harbor. Organized by the Balboa Island Sculling and Punting Society, the event celebrated the passing of the 20th Amendment of the US Constitution, which repealed the 18th Amendment, better knowing at the Prohibition Amendment. The Sculling and Punting Society was largely about drinking, so for them, this was an anniversary worth celebrating. They organized a parade for several years around the harbor that included costumes and decorated boats. Eventually, this parade morphed into the Character Boat Parade, which was moved to August.

Honoring Kobe Bryant Day 8/24 Beautiful Kobe Art at the Museum

This amazing Spencer aerial photograph of Newport Harbor was taken in the 1920s, prior to the construction of the second Jetty. The Spar Bath House is present where the Jetty now stands along with an additional line of beach that is no longer there. The strange shapes visible in the harbor are the old shifting sandbars that, prior to full dredging in 1935, used to pose a hazard to anyone boating in the harbor.

In 1935, in an attempt to bring more people to Marine Avenue on Balboa Island, some of the merchants came together and hosted a fashion show on the street. The show was hosted in front of two buildings near the corner of Marine Avenue and Park Avenue, in front of what would now be Wilma's Patio. At the time, there were two buildings in that location with two different businesses: Jack and Jill, a children's clothing store, and Hal Will Smith Realty. Jack and Jill's store was torn down sometime before 1948, when the Jolly Roger (now Wilma's) was built and Hal Smith Realty is now the dining room of Wilma's. The show featured models from many of the clothing and fashion stores on the street at the time, including Ida Neylor and Jack and Jill. The models were locals or employees of the stores.

Quarantine Ornaments the Sanitizing Elf! Pilgrim Ornaments a Fair Trade Co.