Lost among the throngs of summer beachgoers is the fact that one of LA County's hippest beach communities has a deep and interesting history. It's a story the Hermosa Beach Historical Society enjoys pointing out.

LA's beach communities were among the first incorporated as cities, and with good reason. Who wouldn't want to live and work among the surf and sun? The Hermosa Beach Historical Museum chronicles life in the beach community that lies between Manhattan and Redondo Beaches. In celebration of its 100th birthday, the city of Hermosa revamped the museum to include more information on the area's history, beach culture, and cultivation of jazz music. Besides photos, postcards and other memorabilia, the museum features the original fiberglass statue of late lifeguard Tim Kelly, a wooden plank walkway that recreates the old walkway that used to donimate Strand and a poprtion of the 16th Street lifeguard tower, which dates all the way back to the 1950s. The collection may not be a big one, but it's one lovingly gathered by dedicated locals hoping to preserve beach life before the Jamba Juices and Starbucks dotted the skyline.