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# Turning the page on the old pier
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/turning-the-page-on-the-old-pier/
- Published: 2007-04-06T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T00:25:25.000Z
- Author: Melody Hanatani
- Tags: local, Pier, #archive-import

SANTA MONICA PIER With the centennial celebration of the city’s most recognizable landmark just two years away, Santa Monica Pier staff hopes to capture the past 100 years in a definitive page-turner.

The staff at the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation (SMPRC) is hoping to receive the go ahead from its board to produce a book chronicling the first century in Santa Monica Pier history. The board approved the book in concept at its meeting on Wednesday, but asked SMPRC Executive Director Ben Franz-Knight to conduct a cost analysis for the production of the book since the research and writing will be done by pier staff. The SMPRC would also assume copyrights over the book.

Office Administrator Jeff Harris, who has functioned as the pier historian and manages the archives, will be commissioned to pen the tome.

The last book published about the pier was “Santa Monica Pier — A History from 1875-1990” by Jeffrey Stanton, which has been out of print for several years.

“It’s our bible here,” Rachel Waugh, the pier spokeswoman, said of the most recent pier book.

The idea to publish an updated book, which would cover a gap of about 19 years from the last copy, evolved out of a walking pier history guide that the SMPRC published in 2006\. The free brochure, titled “A Guide to Historic Santa Monica Pier,” has been received with positive reviews, Franz- Knight said.

The new book would cover the opening of Pacific Park in 1996 and essentially, the rebirth of the Santa Monica Pier as a major tourist destination.

Besides a few restaurants scattered along the boardwalk, the pier was fairly dead before Pacific Park came along, he said.

SMPRC staff hopes to launch the book in January 2009.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 6, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/040607.pdf?ref=smdp.com)