bjgreen
By Betsy J. Green
Don’t be wondering if this building is still here – it’s long gone. This was the first location of the “Flying A” movie studio in Santa Barbara. It was a 225-foot-square piece of property on the corner of State and Islay streets.
Before the actors arrived in July of 1912, the property had been the location of an ostrich farm. Folks used to pay to enter and watch the birds. The feathers were used to decorate women’s hats.
The ostrich farm only lasted about a year and a half in 1908 & 1909. Perhaps folks in 1912 wondered if the studio would be equally short lived.
Betsy’s Way Back When book — 1919 — is now available in local bookstores and at Amazon.com. This is the sixth book in her series of the history of Santa Barbara, one year at a time. Learn more at .
