by Kevin Cody
A blue, beach lifeguard tower stands in the middle of the Hermosa Beach Museum, separating the Main Room’s Tongva native and Hermosa civic exhibits from the Beach Culture room’s surfing, volleyball and lifeguard exhibits.
Last month, during a Museum “Cafe Stories” talk, retired Los Angeles County Lifeguard Captain Shannon Carr-Davey, and her husband retired Lifeguard Section Chief Scott Davey recalled how the museum acquired the treasured tower. “Cafe Stories” is a series of monthly talks by residents who share their knowledge of Hermosa’s history in the patio at Cafe Gitana. The talks are emceed by museum program manager Ryan Basford.
Shannon’s mother, Fran Carr, was president of the museum in 2002, the year the Los Angeles County replaced its post World War II-era lifeguard towers, which originally had ladders instead of ramps.
Carr recognized their historic significance because she lived at 16th Street and Hermosa and knew every blue tower along the beach was a distinct social center for neighboring families and surfers.
When she learned the old towers were being replaced, she asked her daughter’s help in getting one to install in the museum.
Shannon swam for the Mira Costa swim team. During her senior year, her coach, Joe Bird, convinced her to take the County lifeguard swim test. At the time there were fewer than half a dozen female lifeguards.
“He told me I could get out through the surf as fast as the guys, and swim faster than most of them,” she recalled.
As for rescuing victims twice her weight, she explained, “The ocean is a great equalizer. Everyone weighs the same.”
She passed the test, but had to wait until she received her high school diploma to start work. Her first day lifeguarding was July 4, 1980 at the Manhattan pier. Instead of a red swimsuit, she wore her blue Mira Costa workout suit because the Lifeguards didn’t have swim suits for women. (A few years later she would become the first woman to be issued a maternity lifeguard dress uniform.)
On that first day, her mom embarrassed her in front of her fellow, male guards by bringing her lunch at the pier tower.
“I was 18,” Shannon explained.
“About 15 minutes later, my dad jumped in the water and started yelling for help. That was even more embarrassing,” she said.
Two decades later Shannon arranged a meeting for her mother with Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe to negotiate for the purchase of a decommissioned lifeguard tower. Fran Carr wanted the 16th street tower, the closest tower to her home. Knabe said the County required payment for the towers. They agreed on $1.
Museum Boardmember Rick Koenig, a building contractor, and a crew of volunteers that included Scott Davey, dismantled the tower, numbered its parts, and took it to the City Yard. The tower was finally reassembled inside the museum in time for the museum expansion and re-grand opening in 2007.
During their talk the Daveys noted the tower on exhibit in the museum is significant to the lifeguards because lifeguards do not have their own museum, anywhere in the country. In addition to the 16th Street tower, the museum has a small beach lifeguard exhibit that includes lifeguard uniforms, paddleboards, rescue cans and Shannon’s “Bronze Savage” statue.
The statues, by retired lifeguard and renowned sculptor
presented to her on her retirement in 2013. The retirement statutes are sculpted by retired lifeguard and renowned sculptor Norton Wisdom.
Shannon was presented her “Bronze Statue” on the steps of the 16th Street lifeguard tower in 2013, during that year’s lifeguard retirement party.
The next “Cafe Stories” speaker will be retired Hermosa Public Works Supervisor Mike Flaherty. He will speak Thursday, December 12 at 3 p.m. Gitana Cafe is located at 2600 Hermosa Avenue, across from North End (Critters).
The Hermosa Museum’s annual Holiday Party is Thursday, December 5 at 6:30 p.m.
The Museum’s current exhibit is No Boundaries: The Life and Work of Warren Miller. Miller was a pioneering ski film maker whose annual film premieres signaled the start ski season. He would have been 100 this year. He passed away in 2018 at age 93.
The Hermosa Museum is located at Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach. For more information call (310) 318-9421; email HermosaBeachMuseum@gmail.com; or visit Hermosa BeachHistoricalSociety.org. ER
