This year in the centenary of the founding of Venice, California – the canals were built one hundred years ago and opened to the public on July 4, 1905.  Those was covered in photographs here - and in a photo album, Venice and its Canals - 21 April 2005.  More of Venice can be found here and in a photo album from June here: Late Afternoon Light and the Strangeness of Southern California.

Of note: from the Los Angeles Daily Times, July 5, 1905

Thousands Attend Assembly and Swimming Races

Sky at Night Ablaze With Lamps and Fireworks.

VENICE, July 4 — From the early hours of morning the electric [street] cars from three directions and by five different routes poured an endless stream of humanity upon this beach.

The crowd … was variously estimated at from 25,000 to 40,000, and the estimate does not seem far out of the way when it is considered that an electric train left Los Angeles for this beach every three minutes during the day.

There seemed to be no diminution of the crowd on Windward Avenue, Ocean Front and the pier, when 5,000 persons were listening to the band concert in front of the amphitheater and wile still another 5,000 occupied every foot of standing room in the Auditorium.

The exercises of the day opened at 9:30 with a band concert in the Auditorium by the Venice band.

While this was in progress, the Ocean Park Celebration Committee arrived at the head of a large delegation and participated with the Venetians in the enjoyment of the musical and literary programme ….

President B. Fay Mills of the Venice Assembly… was followed by the children's choir of 400 voices….

Rev. F.H. Post offered a prayer, Richard Buehler of Los Angeles gave a patriotic reading of the "Star-Spangled Banner," and Sydney Wrightson sang "A Thousand Years, My Own Columbia."

The children sang "Hail Columbia" and the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" in chorus; Mrs. Adams-Fisher spoke on "Old Glory Around the World," Geneva Johnstone Bishop sang "His Buttons Are Marked 'U.S.'" and the audience joined in a grand chorus of "America."  …

Venice has turned "counterculture" over the last century.  This week's celebrations will be far different.  To scan the "old" Los Angeles visit Los Angeles in the 1900s by George Garrigues – "a collection of contemporary articles, advertisements and illustrations about the City of the Angels at the turn of the last century."

Things change.