Vintage postcards show Southern California amusement parks of the early 20th century
An alligator farm, an ostrich farm, the midway in Venice -- it all seemed important enough to put on postcards in the 1900s.
“Exceeding the Speed Limit,” the caption reads on a vintage postcard. Speed would seem to be the least concerning aspect of this scene. (Los Angeles Times)
The alligators are entertaining the guests on this vintage postcard, but one wonders how the gators got to the top of the slide. (Los Angeles Times)
The back of a postcard that depicts the California Alligator Farm on the front explains how people can see the many amusements around Los Angeles traveling by rail. (Los Angeles Times)
It doesn’t look comfortable, but you could ride the ostriches at amusement parks in 1900s Southern California. (Los Angeles Times)
A postcard depicting a man riding an ostrich was mailed to Benton, Kan., northeast of Wichita, in March 1908. (Los Angeles Times)
Roller coasters, a lake and baseball were among the attractions at Chutes Park in Los Angeles. (Los Angeles Times)
The postcard depicting Chutes Park shows that it was mailed to a recipient in Riverside County in 1909. (Los Angeles Times)
A vintage postcard depicts the Venice midway. Seeing a camel on the boardwalk today wouldn’t be so strange. (Los Angeles Times)
A vintage postcard depicts such attractions as the Temple of Mirth, the Chicken Farm and Darkness and Dawn on the midway in Venice. (Los Angeles Times)
The back of a postcard depicting the midway in Venice shows that it was sent to someone in Syracuse, N.Y., in December 1907. The Southern California seaside surely seemed a world away. (Los Angeles Times)
