IN THE PIPELINE:

I’ve been researching and photographing recently for a book I have coming out next year called “Huntington Beach — Then & Now” from Arcadia Publishing. It’s a follow-up of sorts to a book I did several years ago from the same publisher, “Images of America — Huntington Beach.”

Taking then-and-now photos around the country is something that has always fascinated me — to stand in the footsteps of a photographer, who, long ago, first framed the image, creates a compelling connection to the past. I often wonder, as I line up the photo to match the frame today, about the person who took the “then” photo. Were they documenting the city for fun? For hire? Were they perhaps lining up a photo taken previous to their own? And how much has the scenery changed today? Is anything left over from back then? Am I looking at an old building today or a parking lot?

Wandering the city recently, old photos in hand to recreate the images, I’ve had a good time reflecting on all of the changes this place has been through. But that has not been the best part.

You may have noticed recently at the end of these In The Pipeline columns, a request for old family photos. I wanted to include some long-time residents in the then-and-now book because so many families have such deep roots in Huntington Beach. The requests have allowed me to meet some folks I probably would not have had the pleasure of getting to know, and from time to time I thought I’d share a few of these stories in this column.

A woman named Shirley Shaver contacted me one day after reading about the book. Soon after, we met for coffee just a couple of blocks away from the house she grew up in more than 70 years ago. Shirley’s grandparents retired here in Huntington Beach back in the 1920s and she’s lived here off and on for more than 80 years. She told me all about how the house was moved here from a location several blocks away, and what it was like to be there when the great earthquake of ’33 hit (it was extremely scary — and the chimney came crashing down).

Walking the neighborhood, she has a keen sense of who lived where, all those years ago. “See that house over there,” she gestured as we pass 10th Street. “That was where Mr. Warner lived — you know, the gentleman they named Warner Avenue for.” (She’s referring to Judge Charles Warner.) She rattled off more little local facts and stories as if they happened yesterday. Clearly, growing up in Huntington Beach left a big impression on her.

Over coffee she described how simple life was back then — and how much better the fishing was off the pier.

“You wouldn’t believe the halibut my brother would bring back home,” she said.

Though it’s a much different place today, far more of a tourist destination, Shirley still enjoys it.

“It will always feel like home,” she said.

Today, Shirley has a goal here — to create a history group of like-minded city elders who lived through all of the glory days. With this group Shirley would like to document other vibrant memories of the city, compile photos and possibly create a book out of the finished project. She studied Huntington Beach history for her master’s degree so she comes at this with some good credentials. If you’d like to be a part of the group, just shoot me an e-mail and I’ll pass it along to Shirley.

When I met Shirley, of course I wanted to photograph her for inclusion in the book. I looked at the yellowed photo. Posed in front of a house from about 1930 or so, there stood a sweet little girl. Next to her, a puckish little boy smiled with his fishing pole and puppy. It is Shirley and her brother, and as I look through my lens today, as it often happens when I shoot these kinds of photos, time seems to instantly compress. For a moment, the “Then” takes over. The streets are dirt, oil wells pump nearby and off in the distance you can almost hear the squeal of the train pulling in at the pier-side depot. One click later, and it is “Now,” and there stands Shirley, all grown up.

Any fond memories of growing up in Huntington Beach? Post them at In The Pipeline, www.hbindependent.com/ columns. And there’s still a bit of time if you’d like to have an old photo considered for the book — contact [email protected].

Want to get someone a signed book this holiday? I will sign all of my books (including “Images of America – Huntington Beach”) at Barnes & Noble at Bella Terra at 7 p.m. Dec. 6. Come by and say hello!

CHRIS EPTING is the author of nine books including his latest, “Led Zeppelin Crashed Here, The Rock and Roll Landmarks of North America.” He also hosts “The Pop Culture Road Trip” radio show on webtalkradio.net.