Vintage Mystery Locations
Scanning vintage slides is usually a fairly mundane chore; and in most cases I know the location of the photo pictured. But, sometimes, I'll have to do some research. That can be fun - unless the search is fruitless. Today I have two scans that are "mystery locations".
This first one is undated, but probably from the 1950s. It shows a street in an unknown town - someplace with nearby mountains. "Stanley's", to the right, has a faux-adobe look, which makes me think that this could be somewhere in New Mexico. Perhaps Santa Fe? But that store is the only real clue, and I could not locate a "Stanley's" in NM (though there is a city called "Stanley" just east of Albuquerque).
I dug this slide out of a box of random slides. For some reason, I thought that these steps could be in Boston, but doing a search, could find nothing that looks like them. They aren't those darn "Joker Steps" in the Bronx! I realize that there is almost nothing to go on, but perhaps one of you recognizes this place.
11 comments:
Major-
Fun to look at - hard to ID. In the 2nd image, the one Coca-Cola sign says: Buvez Coca-Cola, which of course, is French. Maybe that dumpy-looking restaurant is a fine French dining establishment...
Thanks, Major.
I have no idea where this is, so I'll just agree with you that this is somewhere in New Mexico. Although, looking at images of the town of Stanley, it doesn't look like it was ever large enough to be the one pictured in today's post. That foreground tree looks like it has fruit on it. Or maybe it's blossoms?
For the 2nd pic, I tried giggling (OK, googling) "Restaurant Champlain", like the sign on the left says, but all I could find was a high-end fancy-schmancy restaurant in Quebec that didn't look anything like today's photo at all. Interesting that the restaurant has both, Coca-Cola and Pepsi. I wonder why part of the stairs are blocked with "Police" signs. Maybe because it isn't in the best condition; ther railing looks kind of wonky.
Nanook, hmmm, maybe this IS in Quebec?
Thanks for the mysterious mysteries, Major.
The second photo is Escalier Casse-Cou, which is in the Petit Champlain district of Quebec City. Compare with these photos from 1892, 1903, and 1915.
Not sure about the first one, but the yellow plates look like they might be Texas plates from 1955. There was a chain of Stanley’s grocery stores in Texas at the time. Just a few clues that may lead somewhere.
Thanks, Major!
Chuck is spot on here with pic #2. You and I should have our own detective company...fighting crimes...and solving mysteries...like Scooby and Scrappy. I knew the photo could not be in the US of A....but thought it was a place I visited in Sicily: with the same type of tile on the risers....but you beat me to "level 2" of the investigation. The photo itself is worthy of a frame....the people on the "porch" the Coke Pepsi...and lady with gloves....the police "tape"....Even the lighting is perfect...with a smokiness to it. Pic #1....I'd say Texas too...maybe perhaps....but this is worth of more forensics....more on that later....I will have to digitize, and extrapolate.....(long pause). Ok, this is Alamogordo, New Mexico. 10th Street. Cross street is White Sands Blvd. The onion dome on the right is now the infamous "Shroud of (Turin) Museum." I put Turin in parenthesis because that is what the sign states outside the museum. Stanleys looks to be a more modern "Founders Park". It was an interesting journey to this location. Thanks Major for the Sunday rabbit hole!
Wow, two mystery locations identified in just over 8 hours. The GDB research team is undefeated.
I agree, photo 2 is practically a work of art. Just too much good stuff. I thought at first it might be San Francisco due to the bay window, but the restaurant and signs in French don’t work there.
And New Mexico makes sense for photo 1, where so many are deranged into thinking that application of beige plaster and fake vigas (the sticks poking out of the walls) can magically turn anything from a gas station or lumberyard into a facsimile old Spanish style building. Here we see that philosophy fail once again on a grocery store or something. It’s a form of mass delusion psychosis that affects the entire state.
Thank you, Major, for an entertaining diversion today!
JG
@ Chuck & Bu-
Hats off to both of you-!
Nanook, ha ha, you’d think I would have noticed the French on the Coca-Cola signs, but… I didn’t. Now you know that I can’t read, and it is frankly embarrassing.
JB, I admit that I did not bother to look for current views of Stanley, because there were cartoons on, and I get distracted by anvils. Hard to explain. Not sure about that tree, you don’t think that the “fruit” is just leaves reflecting light? Hmmm, Quebec, eh? (See what I did there??). Sounds like you are on to something. I wondered about the “Police” signs too, and thought that something terrible must have happened on those steps recently.
Chuck, you did it! I’m impressed! Did you just recognize it? Or did you somehow do other detective work? Either way, you get a gold star, and two smiley faces. Funny, I did try to find other Stanley’s grocery stores, but had no luck. I guess I shouldn’t be using the wooden version of Google? Thanks Chuck!
Bu, you and Chuck could drive around in your own version of the Mystery Wagon, which would be cool. Who even needs to solve mysteries when you have a psychedelic van? BTW, somebody who lives near me (no idea who it is) drives a very accurate van painted like the Mystery Wagon, I see it once in a while, and it’s always a delight. And WOW, Alamogordo, New Mexico! Amazing! You and Chuck should wear capes, and those little masks. Domino masks? Why are they called that anyway? “Shroud of (Turin) Museum”, how odd.
JG, I wonder what it is about those steps in photo #2 that compel so many people to take photos? I pass steps all the time and never once think that I need to take a picture for posterity. Then again, I don’t take pictures very often, even at Disneyland, so… yeah. I have to say that I like that adobe look, even if it’s fake. Like the old Casa De Fritos at Disneyland. It has a warmth, or something. Anything is better than your standard, ugly mini mall architecture.
Nanook, I don’t wear a hat, but I will doff my toupee.
wow, Chuck and Bu, amazing!
Stanley's, with its amazing sign, was 99.9% Stanley's Hardware & Lumber Co., in Alamogordo. You can see a reference on top center of the image at page 30 here (page "28" in the original document)
https://issuu.com/building-products/docs/mm_02011972
Nice pics and puzzle, Major, thanks!
Today's sleuthing by Chuck and Bu makes me proud to be a Junior Gorilla!
Major, I’ve actually seen this staircase twice in person with my own eybulbs (1980 and 2012), but it didn’t immediately click when I saw the photo. I had to do a little additional digging before it came back to me, but it would have taken a lot longer without Nanook’s French prompt and JB’s Quebec suggestion. It was a team effort. Can I give them each one of my smiley faces?
Bu, the Major would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn’t been for us meddling kids! Great work sleuthing out Alamogordo. I spent more time than I care to admit trying to put that street somewhere in southern Colorado before stumbling on the Texas Stanley connection, and I still didn’t get it right. Well done!
:) [ <== JB wearing his smiley face.]
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