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New exhibit at Historical Society of LB documents city’s relationship with drinking establishments

bySignal Tribune
September 14, 2012
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<strong>Postcard image from The Pike circa 1929, most likely during Prohibition, showing two men (who were likely underage anyhow) pretending to drink. The Historical Society of Long Beach describes the photo as one of those fake set-ups that allow individuals to pretend they're part of an artificial environment, such as those where people are photographed “behind bars." title="HSLB exhibit" width="239" height="400" class="size-full wp-image-16442" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/sigtrib.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/HSLB-exhibit.jpg?w=239&ssl=1 239w, https://i0.wp.com/sigtrib.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/HSLB-exhibit.jpg?resize=179%2C300&ssl=1 179w" sizes="(max-width: 239px) 100vw, 239px" />
Postcard image from The Pike circa 1929, most likely during Prohibition, showing two men (who were likely underage anyhow) pretending to drink. The Historical Society of Long Beach describes the photo as one of those fake set-ups that allow individuals to pretend they're part of an artificial environment, such as those where people are photographed “behind bars.
It all started as one man’s battle against a “dry” Long Beach. It was 1890, and the man was D.J. McCarthy, who went on to operate the city’s first bar, known as D.J. McCarthy’s Saloon. Since those early days, drinking establishments have been a source of both community and controversy and, perhaps more than any other venues, have reflected the trends and social dynamism of the coastal town of Long Beach.
The Historical Society of Long Beach will open a new exhibit on Friday, Sept. 14 in its South Gallery called Happy Days Long Beach: Bar & Lounge Exhibition, which will feature more than 30 bar and lounge images, along with drink menus, coasters, matchbooks, and other bar-related artifacts dating from 1897 to 1979. These materials come from the historical society’s extensive collections and have been curated by its professional staff, who bring to the task decades of experience researching and exhibiting local history.
For more information, visit hslb.org or call (562) 424-2220.

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