VILLAGE NEWS LA JOLLA
LA JOLLA’S PREFERRED SOURCE FOR LOCAL NEWS
THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2011
San Diego Community Newspaper Group
Scott Appleby & Kerry ApplebyPayne A Family Tradition of Real Estate Success
858-775-2014
DRE#01197544 DRE#01071814
www.SDNEWS.com Volume 16, Number 33
Snapshots past of the
A group of four women and one man wearing bathing suits stands in waist-deep water at the beach around 1903. Courtesy of the La Jolla Historical Society
The proposed Nooren residence, to be constructed at 8001 Calle de la Plata, is a 3,700-square-foot single-family dwelling that will replace one of the oldest homes in the La Jolla Shores community. Courtesy rendering
Shores residents question new neighbor’s desire to fit in When undressing La Jolla's history, beach attire is among transformations that demand attention BY CLAIRE HARLIN | VILLAGE NEWS
s historian Carol Olten points out in her new book "La Jolla Then and Now," to be featured at a 7 p.m. signing event on May 7 at D.G. Wills Books, day-to-day changes in urban landscape can easily go unnoticed, while transformations that have taken place in La Jolla since its beginnings in the late 1800s seem monumental when observed over a long time. The book, photographed and co-authored by Rudy Vaca, uses photos to capture the past and present of La Jolla, while explaining and comparing the two. It illustrates how iconic rock formations have weathered or fallen, architectural structures have been replaced or altered and commercialization has proliferated. Standing out among the intriguing changes over the last decade are those involving the people who we cannot talk to, but only observe in the black and white photos that have been left behind. A day at the beach of La Jolla Cove was a much different scene years ago than it is now, and most notably, beachgoers' attire makes that difference unmistakable.
A Section One: ... it is hereby declared unlawful for any person over the age of ten years to appear on any street park or alley of La Jolla in a bathing suit ...
A 1910 photo of the La Jolla Cove shows a large group of people sitting on the sand and enjoying a picnic in "Sunday best" clothing — girls in hats and dresses and boys in suits and berets. They don't drink out of plastic or paper cups, but rather raise china cups to their mouths. No bikinis, no swim trunks, no flip-flops. Swimwear stands out as an ever-evolving custom, and when early attire began to meet changes in modesty, those who chose to wear less met some opposition. While most of those those who experienced it are no longer alive to tell about it, documents reveal there was a 1917 ordinance in La Jolla that banned people from wearing swimsuits in public. Specifically, Common Council Ordinance No. 7056 stated anyone over the age of 10 could not wear a swimsuit "unless there is worn over such bathing suit or swimming suit a coat, cloak or other garment covering the entire person SEE SWIMWEAR, Page 5
Section Two: ... it is hereby declared unlawful for any person having on a bathing suit to sit or lie on that portion of the beach of parcel of land known as “The Cove” ... Top: One of the earliest obtained color photos of beach attire, a model poses at the Children’s Pool in 1949. Above: A highly protested 1917 ordinance prohibited wearing bathing suits in La Jolla. Courtesy of the La Jolla Historical Society
Swimwear evolution
BY KENDRA HARTMANN | VILLAGE NEWS At the April 26 meeting of the La Jolla Shores Permit Review Committee (LJSPRC), board members heard presentations from the architect and attorney for the planned residence of Jack Nooren, to be constructed at 8001 Calle de la Plata. Both committee and presenters, however, got more advice than they bargained for. Residents who attended the meeting waited patiently throughout the presentations outlining the plans for the house — a modern, LEED-certified, 3,700-square-foot residence to be built on the site of one of the community’s oldest homes. When it came time for public testimony, however, they didn’t mince words. “Why would [the owner] want to go in a completely opposite direction from the historical architecture of the Shores?” asked one member of the audience. “[The historic house] is a gem within the jewel,” said another. “We are destroying everything we have.” Board member Phil Merten did not speak to the historical significance of the existing structure, but he did say that, in his opinion, the new building doesn’t “meet the intent of the design manual or the La Jolla community plan.” For some residents, the sentiment went even further. “Why does [the owner] want to change the flavor of the Shores?” asked one. “Why does he want something so antagonistic to everything in the community?” The existing home, a modest, Spanish-style structure built in 1927, was one of the original four homes built in La Jolla Shores. The construction of the four residences signaled the grand opening of the subdivision, which was attended by Hollywood stars and surfing royalty. Jackie Coogan, a child star in the 1920s who went on to marry Bettie Grable, as well as Duke “The Big Kahuna” Kahanamoku made appearances at the event. Residents of the Shores have previously tried to have the home designated as historically significant, but the San Diego Historical Resources Board has been deadlocked on the issue since last June. Meanwhile, demolition and construction of the new structure are moving forward. The LJSPRC does not make decisions about the historical significance of buildings, and the item was on the agenda of the April 26 meeting to determine if the new building would meet the SEE HOUSE, Page 3