LibGuides: Santa Monica History: A Brief Guide

History of Santa Monica

Welcome to the SMC Library's Guide on resources on the History of Santa Monica including Santa Monica College. If you need library assistance, please use our Ask-a-Librarian.

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Useful Books

The Outlook's Story of Santa Monica
This story appeared in the Evening Outlook in a serial form, in 1931-32.
Early Santa Monica by Louise B. Gabriel; Santa Monica Historical Society Museum
Call Number: F 869 .S51 G32 2006 c.2 STACKS
ISBN: 0738531448
Publication Date: 2006
Celebrates the history of Santa Monica using archival photographs.
Santa Monica Bay : the first 100 years : a pictorial history of Santa Monica, Venice, Ocean Park, Pacific Palisades, Topanga, & Malibu by Fred E. Basten
Call Number: F868 .L8 B37 STACKS
ISBN: 9780913264171
Publication Date: 1974-01-01
Santa Monica Beach by Ernest Marquez
Call Number: F869 .S51 M37 2004
ISBN: 9781883318369
Publication Date: 2004-09-01
Early photographs and history of Santa Monica Beach dating back to 1870's.

Featured e-Books on Santa Monica History

History of the Santa Monica Bay region : in two parts narrative and biographical by Warren, Charles S
Publication Date: 1934
Santa Monica Bay (Calif.) -- History.
Santa Monica (Calif.) -- Biography.
California -- Santa Monica.
Ingersoll's century history, Santa Monica Bay cities ... prefaced with a brief history of the state of California, a condensed history of Los Angeles County, 1542-1908; supplemented with an encyclopedia of local biography ... by Ingersoll, Luther A.,
Publication Date: 1908
Santa Monica Bay (Calif.)
Ocean Park (Calif.) > Ocean Park (Calif.) /History.
Santa Monica (Calif.) > Santa Monica (Calif.) /History.
Los Angeles County (Calif.) > Los Angeles County (Calif.) /History.
Santa Monica : a Calendar of Events in the Making of a City by W. W. Robinson (Editor)
ISBN: 9781258536237
Publication Date: 1950
This compelling narrative tells the history of Santa Monica.

Useful Santa Monica College Databases

Corsair Archive, 1929-2011
Santa Monica College Corsair newspaper archive in fulltext, 1929-June 2011. Corsair content from August 2011 to present is at thecorsaironline.com (includes online-only content) and issuu.com (print editions.) Part of the California Digital Newspaper Collection.

California Digital Newspaper Collection
A freely accessible repository of digitized California newspapers from 1846 to the present. Includes back issues of the SMC Corsair.

Academic Search Complete, MasterFile Complete
A comprehensive scholarly, full-text database. The database features PDF content going back as far as 1887.

US Newsstream
Local, regional and national news coverage from selected newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times.

Films on Demand- Video

Local Santa Monica Websites and Historical Information

City of Santa Monica
City services and updated City information
Heal the Bay
Heal the Bay staff work to mobilize L.A.’s many diverse communities to protect our coastline, revitalize our urban waterways, and speak out for smart water policy.
Imagine Santa Monica
"Welcome to Imagine Santa Monica, digital collections of the Santa Monica Public Library, including the Image Archives of the Santa Monica Bay area (1875-present), the Outlook Newspaper (1875-1937), Palisades Historical Image Collection (1910s-1950s), the Santa Monica Newspaper Index and Historical Maps of the Santa Monica Area."
Santa Monica Conservancy
"Explore Santa Monica's landmarks and historic places." This site advocates the preservation of historical buildings in Santa Monica and provides a map of locations.
Santa Monica History Museum
Historic Photos, Exhibitions, Permanent Exhibits, Research Library and other useful information.
Santa Monica Image Archive
"The Santa Monica Image Archives illustrates the history of the Santa Monica Bay Area from 1875 to the present day with historical photographs, postcards and other images including views of the City and its landscape."
Santa Monica Public Library Local History
Includes useful information and links to Santa Monica's Local History, Library History, Imagine Library and Santa Monica Collection Library. Other notable resources include the Santa Monica Outlook Newspaper and additional Santa Monica historical information.