Photo exhibit to highlight Port of Long Beach's history

JOC Staff |

The amazing true story of the Port of Long Beach will come to life in Port Town: A Historical Photo Exhibit, which starts a three-month run at the Historical Society of Long Beach, 4260 Atlantic Ave., with a Bixby Knolls First Fridays event on Friday, Aug. 7 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The exhibit, continuing through Nov. 6, is a companion to a new history book, Port Town: How the People of Long Beach Built, Defended, and Profited From Their Harbor, written by veteran Long Beach maritime industry journalists George and Carmela Cunningham. The Cunninghams will be on hand Aug. 7 to discuss the book and the history of the Port.

With one-of-a-kind artifacts, ship models, rare photos and video, the exhibit tells the story of the Port of Long Beach and the men and women who built it from a marshy mud flat into one of the greenest and most modern ports in the world. Visitors will learn why the Port isn't in Santa Monica, how a near disaster for the city turned into a benefit for the Port today, how a metal box changed the Port forever, and much more.

"This is our Long Beach history, one that we should all know and be proud to call our own," said Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners President Doug Drummond. "I hope you will all come experience the fascinating story of our city's greatest economic asset."

Limited edition hardcover copies of Port Town will be available for purchase at the exhibit for $45, with proceeds benefiting the Historical Society. E-book and paperback versions are also available online; visit porttown.polb.com for more information.

Hours for the Historical Society Port Town exhibit: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 1-5 p.m.; Thursdays, 1-7 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays and Mondays, closed. Special First Fridays evening events are also planned on Sept. 4, Oct. 2 and Nov. 6.