Where was this Mopar Brochure/Ad Photo shot?

[amazinblue82]

three folks report it solved as to all questions. solution suggestion posted tomorrow am EDT.

a couple of other things have come up about it i never knew. so, i also refreshed my nerdly fascination with the engineering/construction ... truly a "modern marvel" ... ideated in the 19th century, finally completed/opened in the late 1950's, still even now with specific design features unique in the world.

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UPDATED 4/5

Watch Modern Marvels Season 9 Episode 7 | HISTORY Channel

 

[SPF Required]

Google keeps taking me to a certain well known bridge that is NOT in an upper Midwest town. So much for easy! :-D

 

[amazinblue82]

#819 The Mackinac Bridge.

Mackinac (pronounced "ma-kuh-naa") Bridge, connects lower and upper peninsulas of the state of Michigan. Opened in fall 1957, it was under construction from 1954 to 1957.

One of the longest suspension bridges in the world, both when it opened, and even now (seventh longest based on suspended length). In total, with approaches, its almost 27,000 feet long.

Its main towers' (two of them, each 500 feet tall) foundations extend 200 BELOW the waterline down to bedrock -- the deepest of ANY bridge ever constructucted.

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I included this primer because I use it to try answer question 3.

Below, this ordinary citizen's family photo from late 1950's, from lower peninsula Lake Michigan shoreline, west side of bridge looking north. shows:

(1) how far out into the water (straits of Mackinac) the towers are, in turn
(2) how far FROM the shore before the suspension cables reach road level, and
(3) parts of the bridge on either side of the towers called "side spans" (suspendesed roadway, built on "piers - there are about 30 of them in total)

below, postcard, circa 1960

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Today, the bridge is painted green and ivory. It got it first coat of point in 1958 (a light blue towers, greenish superstructure), but for the three years it was underconstruction, the steel had a "rusty" color. It is likely, the illustrator started their illustration WHEN the bridge was UNPAINTED. Artistic license.

In about 2016, the whole bridge was repainted from the light blue/green (which was LEAD paint from the late 1950's) to the current ivory and green. That color itself was used by an illustrator in 1957. Yes, 70 years later, Michigan decided they liked those colors. and used them in the repaint. Artistic license.

This could be why bridges OTHER than Mackinac come up in google searches. It was a rusty color WHILE it was being built. Its been painted some other color (light blue, or ivory/green) since June 1958.

source: Building the Mackinac Bridge - Page 4

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All that to say, Question 3. UNLESS the 1958 Pontiac was based on a photo of the car ON a ferry/barge, you CANNOT get such a pic, today or back then either.

Of course, the illustrator can DRAW the car anywhere they want. But to get that view in real life, thats (that close to the towers, about where the side spans end and the cables are attached) about a MILE from either shore of Lake Michigan, you gotta be out in the straits.

Heck, you can even see the sky through what would need to be roadway - this suggests a pre-bridge opening inspiration for the illustrator.

As such, LSS I conclude artistic license, trying to capitalize on whiz bang architecture of the times going on with the Mighty Mac.

Another thing. (ignoring the towers are nearly a MILE from the shore) NOT sure in the post 9/11 era you can get vehicles this close to the shore NEAR the suspended side spans, anymore. You can still walk down there, ride, etc.. But a vehicle? Dunno, since I havent been there in 25 years with a vehicle.

Below, 2020 google maps photo, looking north, west side of bridge, lower peninsula shore

 

[300rag]

Should have known it, but the perception in the the pic seemed to have a lot less distance between shorelines. As seen from the ferry to Mackinac Island...

 

[amazinblue82]

Should have known it, but the perception in the the pic seemed to have a lot less distance between shorelines. As seen from the ferry to Mackinac Island...

yeah, these illustrations are a "double edged sword" sometimes. I like them because MANY times they are based on REAL places. OTOH, because they are drawings, the artists ARE able to take liberties with placements/perspectives/architectures.

Same way they (artists) made cars look cooler, longer, wider, faster, etc.. they also depicted versions of the vehicle that were NEVER manufactured.

One of the reasons illustrations went out of favor, car maker advertising brochures started putting in all kind of disclaimers about what they were really building wasnt being shown, etc.

As an OP, if I wanna try these illustrations as "games" it makes me take MORE time to research IF a few photos from the time can reasonably corroborate the illustration. In this case, I'd know "big Mac" anywhere, but the illustration had "oddities" that could be interesting.

Turns out, this one did have such stories. More 'artistic license" going on than I though going in.

That, in turn, makes solvers (who may be UN-familiar with the anchor object (they all games have then, otherwise practicallly impossible to solve) work a little harder too with identiification. Perspective and colors are where artist embellished on Big Mac in this illustration.

I know ferries across the Mackinac strait have been running for almost 200 years (Congress gave the new state of Michigan the UP in 1837, in exchange for giving Toledo to Ohio --Michigan was jonesin' for a bridge ever since but construction techniques/materials to do it were NOT invented for nearly 100 years later)

I did NOT find a 1950's-later actual photograph of an "open top" flotation device, with a car ON it, that could have been inspiration to an illustrator.

There's vintage art ALL OVER MICHIGAN from the late 1950's where advertisers were glomming onto Big Mac with ad imagery (pics and drawings) during construction/early hears after opening.

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I have a couple more game examples coming, based on illustrations, including one i have NOT been able to solve. I know WHERE vehicle is illustrated to be, but CANNOT duplicate it in ANY photo (in maps or otherwise) showing the perspective the artist used.

Other folks here are MUCH better at that (e.g., landing PegMan in the right spot) than I am - see what they come up with.

 

[tim howe]

But, this is not a Mopar ad with the Pontiac in the picture, LOL

 

[D Cluley]

3:30-9:30 has the bridge with a C body

 

[SPF Required]

Dang it. I even drove over that bridge in my 20s on a great American road trip!

I’ll get the next one (I hope).

 

[amazinblue82]

Dang it. I even drove over that bridge in my 20s on a great American road trip!

I’ll get the next one (I hope).

i think another test is comin' tomorrow, Saturday. damn thing whipped my tail, so i'm punting.

you solved the most difficult (unsolved) one we had, and a couple other folks have cracked some other backbreakers, too.

i aint gonna bet agin' yall

 

[amazinblue82]

NEW GAME

Where is this 1956 Packard Executive?

1. Upper, Northeast United States. City and State?

2. Can this scene be approximated today? I am UNABLE to find a current OR past (as far back as 1956) picture where the physical geology (the rocks) and architectural landmarks are visible in ONE photograph.

Stated another way, I located what I believe to be 80% of this illustration. The remaining 20% is representative of the region, but I CANNOT find it (I think 70 years has changed a few things).. Answering this question is therefore optional and a bonus.

3. Your sleuthing could lead you to a location a hundred miles from here. If it does, please do enough work to corroborate your assessment of the illustrator's inspiration for the rendering.

This one is on the more challenging end of the spectrum. Likely will require a little extra work to get ANY kind of answer, unless you know EXACTLY where all/most the elements of this illustration are visible in ONE place.

My OP assessment beginning of next week. I am prepared to defend my assessment.

 

[amazinblue82]

three solvers in. OP assessment, for confirmation or debate, will be provided a.m. Tuesday EDT.

consensus is a portion of illustration is real ... the part you can find at least ... part of it may not be and/or a real scene composited into this illustration. the geography is fairly definitive it appears

the "real" part is truly of historical significance to US history existing almost since its founding. it is essential to solving this one.

id like to visit there one day.

 

[amazinblue82]

#832. The illustration purports to show this Packard at the Portland_Head_Light, Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

George Washington, first US President, put up the $1,500 (that's like $50k TODAY, but the new nation didn't have the money yet) in 1791 to build the lighthouse. Other structures next to it are old too, but not quite that old.

Is this a real view you could get in a real picture? today or in 1956? I concluded "NO, not really".

Here's why I think that.

The illustration is looking, panoramically, due EASTERLY out into the Atlantic Ocean. The Head light is kinda juts juts out on a little peninsula thing, so the view is "north easterly" if you were standing on the driverside of the car.

I drew a red demarcation line on the illustration. Everything to the left of that line (assuming you could get car close enough the the edge of the cliff - not sure you can today, but maybe you could have 70 years ago) you could theorectically get a photo? I still think "NO".

To the right of the demarcation ine, probably WAS a view you could get, BUT the shape of the coastline, the rocks near the shore down there, etc., does NOT appear to make all the sightlines work.

The distant shoreline, sailboats, structures likely WERE visible to the illustrator, but they were FAR, FAR away from where the car could have been, given the curavture of the shoreline (it bends to the WEST for dozens of miles to the SOUTH).

Immediately below, in the red circle (google maps, blue circles are images visitors have captured), is where the car COULD have been, but NOT now, 70 years ago.

The panorama I made putting together a couple of images, from ONE blue circle in the RED circle, eyeballing it spanning about 180 degrees of arc from NNE to SSE.

I therefore conclude the illustrator's inspiration was probably from the RED circle above.

S/he maybe even had a vehicle in the RED circle, and THEN took "artistic license" to create an interesting NE coast SCENE that COULD NOT be created in a photo .. the geography (500M year old rocks there, from BEFORE the tectonics even opened the Atlantic) does NOT cooperate, IMHO.

ALL of the solvers agree we are a few hundred yards away from the Portland Head Light, which was the focal point of the illustration. I am concluding, because I tried and could NOT make it work, even cobbling together digital images, to create a picture matching the hand-drawm illustration.

Others may have a different view, AND/OR have stood on this spot, AND/OR think 70 years has changed the landscape somehow,

 

[300rag]

Once you have seen this lighthouse in person it immediately jumps out at you. Lighthouses are all fairly unique and with all the additional structures around it there is no mistaking it. As soon as I saw the illustration I knew what it was but the right half of the drawing wasn't right. These are a few pics of when I was there in 2003.

From the sea side...

From a similar angle as the illustration...

The plaque at the site...

 

[amazinblue82]

Once you have seen this lighthouse in person it immediately jumps out at you. Lighthouses are all fairly unique and with all the additional structures around it there is no mistaking it. As soon as I saw the illustration I knew what it was but the right half of the drawing wasn't right. These are a few pics of when I was there in 2003.

Not me, but you brother Betcha you've been to Winnemucca too.. you always been Canadian, eh?

 

[300rag]

Not me, but you brother Betcha you've been to Winnemucca too.. you always been Canadian, eh?



View attachment 714517

Not to, but through.

 

[amazinblue82]

New Game. Photo is here


Where is this 1959 Fury?

We have been here, to this VERY spot, like six times in this thread.

Though this is a family picture (asserted to have been taken in 1964, but I am pretty sure that may be a couple years too late, given the building under construction was finished in 1962), the OEM car companies, for obvious reasons, used this location (from various photographic perspectives) dozens of times in their adveretising.

You don't even has to leave this thread to find this location.

Three Questions.

1. City and State?
2. Exsct Location IN that City?
3. Can this view be duplicated today ? Answer. Sorta. The question to solve is Why or Why Not? Be specific if you can.

Again, you can stay IN this thread (but you dont have to), with eagle eyes, in 2025 and get the answer.

Honestly, this is maybe one of easiest one's we've done. You don't need crazy mad digital skills. Just interest and decent eyesight.

Good luck. Answer this Saturday a.m. EDT

 

[amazinblue82]

two solvers in correctly on #836. Answer in the tomorrow a.m. EDT Saturday.

Notice a correction I took the liberty of making .. there are internet sources with this vintage Kodchrome picture indicating a date of 1964. However, I am pretty sure that may be a couple years too late, given the building on the right under construction and finished in 1962.

Does not affect the location (still the same place), and is not intended to be a "trickeration" by the OP (me). Just a typo in source material that, if you found it, could be misleading. Internet is always right, right?

 

[amazinblue82]

#836 Huntington Place (back then Cobo Hall) roof parking, Detroit Michigan.

You need only go to #799, which has color photos to help with skyline identification. Cobo has been remodeled over the 60 years but position on the roof did not change, the orangish-brick building is the Guardian_Building, an art deco masterpiece finished in 1929.

In addition, the building under construction on the right is this one, completed in 1962. Another building, the Ponchartrain Hotel was finished in 1965, would have been in the line of sight on the right under construction as well. Yet another building was added in late 1980's.

thanks for playing.

 

[amazinblue82]

Where was the inspiration for this 1958 Pontiac Safari Wagon?

First, it is NOT possible, today, to recreate this. It surely WAS possible to pose a car here if one wanted to. I did NOT find a real phtograph of a Pontiac Safari here.

Three things to solve:

1. City and State?
2. What was this car illustrated next to?
3. What was the unique disposition of that thing hovering above it? If you find it, you will then know what became of it.

This one is EASY, with basic digital skills, to find, but I chose it because an EXTRA sleuthing step is needed for question 3.

If you play, You should soon determine the "stars" of this illustration were "real" things, and therefore the illustrator had "real" things upon which to base their illustration.

What became of one of these things? Surprising, and kinda sad in a way.

Answer in a couple of days..

 

[amazinblue82]

#839 solved 100% correctly already by two people.

good luck if you play.