The great thing about vintage Seaside photos is that I constantly find myself engaging in the same activities and visiting the same locations as the people depicted in the past. It’s fun to spot a street corner or patch of land in ancient black and white that you’ve traversed countless times. This shot of the North Prom, shortly after it was completed in 1920, shows a throng of people out for a gander and settling in on the beach to enjoy the sunshine. Off in the distance you can see the vague outline of the estuary with Gearhart’s Gin Ridge rising in the background.
We’ve had some spectacular weather lately, and for the past few days the scene on the beach and promenade looked nearly identical to this photo. My favorite part of the picture is the little kid riding a vintage tricycle in the lower left hand corner. It reminds me of riding the promenade on my first bike in the early 1980s. It was an exhilarating experience (although a bit shaky) to be out on that straightaway with the ocean at your side. Nowadays, my whole family hits the promenade for a group walk or bicycle ride. Considering that the promenade’s centennial is coming up in 2020, it’s a great time to celebrate the tradition that’s been going strong for nearly one hundred years.
