Architects: W. Horace Austin and Kenneth Wing
Long Beach was a center for aviation pioneers in the Teens, notably Earl Daugherty, who operated a flying school. He advocated development of an airport; consequently , Long Beach has the oldest municipal airport (1924) in Southern California, originally called Daugherty Field.
Availability of the airport enticed Douglas Aircraft to locate here in 1940 for wartime production. The Terminal Building was constructed the following year and is a masterpiece of the early modern style. Shaped in an arc, it recalls Streamline Moderne design. Inside are ceramic tile floor mosaics by artist Grace Clements, a project of the federal Public Works Administration (WPA).
