THEN1: Seven men hold down an agitated sea serpent for the camera while three others look on. (Davis & Horton, courtesy Museum of History & Industry)
Long before radio and TV (and certainly the internet), newspapers abounded with eyewitness tales of dreaded sea serpents. It became almost a sport to try to prove such sightings. In 1906, a group of natty gents took matters into their own hands, showcasing visual evidence of such a find. At Rainier Beach, they wrestled a sharp-toothed beast to stillness just long enough for a photo to document their temporary prize before rolling it back into Lake Washington.
NOW1: Emulating the 1906 pose with an augmented log at the original Ballard Beach by the Ballard Elks Lodge are members and fans of the Ballard Historical Society: (back, from left) Mari Pantaleo, Gayle Tate-Casson and Jennifer Harris (with dog Banjo); and (front, from left) Peggy Sturdivant, Ellen Marx (with dog Tucker), Patty Brasel, Mary Schile, Marilyn Hansen, Brandy Torrisi, Laura K. Cooper and Cass O’Callaghan. (Clay Eals)
April Fool on you if you fell for the stunt of the period gents, thinking that their sea monster was real instead of a lengthy piece of doctored driftwood. Also, the pranksters were at Ballard Beach on Puget Sound!
An alternate view of the men and the “sea monster” in 1906.An alternate view of the present-day intrepid Ballard crew with “sea monster.” (Clay Eals)
