Author Archives: Bruce

LIBERACE’S BROTHER GEORGE (in middle), HOCUS POCUS (as SANTA) & REINDEER IN SANTA’S VILLAGE May 9, 1959. Santa’s Village was built in Scotts Valley right off to the east on hwy 17. about 1955. It went bankrupt in 1977. George … Continue reading →

MARILYN MONROE-HISTORICAL PHOTO. I personally took this photo October 28, 1952. Read below. photo credit: author’s personal collection Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com ONE WEEK WITH MARILYN and MY 1/50 SECOND WITH MARILYN, part 2. The film now at … Continue reading →

NEW HIGHWAY 9 RIVER STREET INTERSECTION IN 1956. An amazing photo showing the new highway, The Tannery in lower right, CPDES hall center right, and the baseball field, the Sashmill far left, new San Lorenzo bridge in lower center. No … Continue reading →

PACIFIC AVENUE. December 1946 at 2:01 p.m. All those Christmas Decorations and that Chain Store in the lower right. I just now read that Optometrist Dr. Ray. G. Newcomer had his office right next to The Artistic Beauty Salon. That … Continue reading →

TWO WAY PACIFIC AVENUE January 26, 1965. Note an earlier location for Palace Stationers and Fortier’s Optical, note Fingal’s Jewelers in the Palomar passageway, S & M Bakery on the far right!!, and the International Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F) … Continue reading →

PACIFIC AVENUE, WATER STREET AND MISSION STREET. This was the Anthony Block and here we can see Irwin’s Nickelodeon just about our first movie theatre. It’s where the Town clock is now. See page 84 of John Chase’s Santa Cruz … Continue reading →

TWO WAY TRAFFIC ON PACIFIC IN 1953. It really should be made a closed Mall, but here’s what it used to look like. Remember too, it had out of town corporations like Bank Of America, Woolworth’s, Montgomery Ward, J.C. Penneys, … Continue reading →

“WORLD FAMOUS” BROOKDALE LODGE 1967.This gorgeous place was first built in 1923 where the Brookdale Hotel used to be. It burned level in 1956, and was partially re-built later. That’s Clear Creek running through it. The food was lousy but … Continue reading →

CABRILHO COLLEGE CAMPUS An aerial of the Cabrilho College campus from days past. Imagine it that sparsely populated with cars today… photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version. Additional information always welcome: email photo@brattononline.com RUMORS … Continue reading →

NORM LEZIN (former mayor and Salz Tannery owner) addressing a civil rights “sympathy” group in front of city hall on March 13, 1965. photo credit: Covello & Covello Historical photo collection, click for bigger version. Additional information always welcome: email … Continue reading →