Revisit “The Wonder Years” of Myrtle Beach
By Christina Knauss
Take a trip back in time to the bygone days of Myrtle Beach at "Jack Thompson: The Wonder Years, Myrtle Beach Photographs from the '50s and '60s," an exhibit running through Aug. 30 at the Franklin G. Burroughs - Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum in Myrtle Beach.
Award-wining photojournalist Jack Thompson has deservedly earned a reputation as "the keeper" of the Grand Strand's photographic history.
Thompson originally hails from Greenville, but at age 13 he and two friends hitchhiked on a dare to Myrtle Beach. One of those friends was fellow Greenville native Carroll Campbell, who later went on to become governor of South Carolina. Thompson ended up with a job at the two-minute photo booth at the now-defunct Myrtle Beach Pavilion. The job led on to training in photography, and what became a lifelong career documenting Grand Strand life.
The exhibit features images of everything from Ocean Boulevard and the historic Myrtle Beach train depot to the landmark Ocean Forest Hotel, which opened in 1930 and was finally demolished in 1974. There are candid shots of Myrtle Beach paperboys, lifeguards, families and groups of teenagers enjoying life during a simpler time on the city's beaches.
Long-time residents will recognize vintage former landmarks such as the Kozy Korner, Rivoli Theatre, Coastal Dinette, Sloppy Joe's, the Chicken Shoppe and Fat Harold's original Pad in North Myrtle Beach.
Exhibit hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-4 p.m. Sunday, closed Mondays. The museum is located at 3100 S. Ocean Blvd. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. Call (843) 238-2510 for more information, or visit www.myrtlebeachartmuseum.org.
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