The Venice Plunge was a plunge pool located in Santa Monica, California from 1907-1940s. Plunge pools were popular from the 1880s-1940s wherein Californians would swim in big pools such as these, right by the Pacific Ocean. Coastal plunges are connected to bath houses which lined the beaches of Southern California, which were used by tourists vacationing in the area.[1]
Santa Monica was concerned in bathhouses in the late-19th century which were made up of ocean water- "hot, cold, fresh and salty". It was the originator of Plunge pools in Southern California. The Venice Plunge was built in June 1908 for $100,000[2] lavishly with plate-glass windows to inspire an aquarium-like environ. It had a saltwater fountain and heated water in the shallow end, as well as having a skylight.[3] The Plunge at that point had 600 dressing rooms[2] and a pool to accommodate up to 2,000 people. Ultimately, though, changing attitudes about indoor pools came in the 1940s, and with the 60s surfer craze, the plunge pool died. Shortly after a fire[4] knocking it out of commission, the Venice Plunge was demolished to be reconstituted as a bridge parlor, followed by the closing of Pacific Electric's Redondo beach plunge- up to 7,400 patrons could occupy that plunge on a given day, as done in 1919.
Silent film star Buster Keaton used the Venice Plunge as a filming location for 1928's The Cameraman.[5]
Further Reading
editReferences
edit- ^ "Swimming Pools at the Beach? When L.A. Took the Plunge". PBS SoCal. 2013-07-18. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ a b "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ "Venice Plunge". www.westland.net. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
- ^ martinturnbull.com https://martinturnbull.com/2023/04/15/the-front-view-of-the-venice-beach-bath-house-venice-beach-california-undated-2/. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Bengtson, John (2020-03-28). "Keaton's The Cameraman on the Santa Monica Pier". Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd film locations (and more). Retrieved 2024-06-17.