Photo courtesy of Port Town.

What are some of the strangest objects that have been delivered to the Port of Long Beach? Why wasn’t the port built in Santa Monica and how did a sinking island affect its construction?

The true story of the Port of Long Beach (POLB) will be brought to life in Port Town: A Historical Photo Exhibit, which will begin its three-month run at the Historical Society of Long Beach during Bixby Knolls’ First Fridays event on August 7 from 6:30PM to 9:30PM. The event is free and open to the public, while the exhibit will continue through November 6.

Port Town is the companion to a new history book, Port Town: How the People of Long Beach Built, Defended, and Profited from Their Harbor, written by veteran Long Beach maritime industry journalists George and Carmela Cunningham. The Cunninghams will be present on August 7 to discuss the book, answer questions and talk about the history of the port.

One-of-a-kind artifacts, ship models, rare photos and video will tell the story of the port’s humble beginnings, of the men and women who built it from a marshy mud flat into one of the greenest and most modern ports in the world. Visitors will have the chance to learn why the port isn’t in Santa Monica, how a near disaster for the city turned into a benefit for the port today and how a metal box changed the port forever and more, according to the announcement.

“This is our Long Beach history, one that we should all know and be proud to call our own,” said Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners President Doug Drummond in a statement. “I hope you will all come experience the fascinating story of our city’s greatest economic asset.”

Limited edition hardcover copies of Port Town will be available to purchase at the exhibit for $45, with proceeds benefiting the Historical Society. E-book and paperback versions are also available online. Click here for more information.

Hours for the Historical Society Port Town exhibit are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 1:00PM to 5:00PM; Thursdays, 1:00PM to 7:00PM; Saturdays, 11:00AM to 5:00PM; Sundays and Mondays, closed. Special First Fridays evening events are also planned on September 4, October 2 and November 6.

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1950s a submarine for oceanographic exploration is delivered at the Port