Going through some old photos and found this one of my great uncle. Was born here in Ky., went to college somewhere in Kansas, then moved to Philadelphia. He traveled all over, and left a bunch of slides that we were able to get converted to photos. Have no idea where this one was taken, but I figured somewhere there's a surveyor that's taken a back sight on this monument on a hill. Anybody recognize where it is? Probably taken in the 40's or 50's.
Well, the clues are
- on hill,
- probably in area with abundant timber,
- light-colored material, likely either grey granite or concrete,
- plinth same color as obelisk.
One possibility would be the obelisk in Cornwall Park in Aukland, New Zealand. (Edit: but that would be in the universe in which it isnt the High Point Monument in New Jersey)
It looks like it was taken in a studio against a background photo to me.
Could be the Jefferson Davis monument in Fairview, Ky....you know him...the other civil war president from Kentucky...
Dave Karoly, post: 405977, member: 94 wrote: It looks like it was taken in a studio against a background photo to me.
What makes you think that? I'm bothered by the light streak across the sky, which doesn't seem to continue as a scanning/printing/fading/damage defect across the hill or his suit. Its edges aren't straight; if they were I'd be more inclined to think it was a canvas. If the streak went across the hill and not the suit I might be convinced there was a backdrop.
But the shadows make me think he really is on the plank structure and leaning on the log. That would be an unusual studio accessory. And how do they get those shadows without putting too much light and shadows on a backdrop?
eddycreek, post: 405972, member: 501 wrote: Going through some old photos and found this one of my great uncle. Was born here in Ky., went to college somewhere in Kansas, then moved to Philadelphia. He traveled all over, and left a bunch of slides that we were able to get converted to photos. Have no idea where this one was taken, but I figured somewhere there's a surveyor that's taken a back sight on this monument on a hill. Anybody recognize where it is? Probably taken in the 40's or 50's.
It sure looks like High Point, NJ to me.
Back in the late 70's I had the privilege of setting on a monument at the edge of a cliff so we could transfer control down to a site at the bottom of the cliff. The High Point monument was the back sight.
We did not use tribrachs for targets back then. With a 2 man crew, we found the monument, set up and my assistant drove about an hour to get to the site. We turned things up, and he got to drive back. I was there for a while. It just happened to be in the fall when hawks and eagles were heading south, and the cliff we were on was along the fly way. There were 2 very bored Audubon fellows counting the birds, mainly eagles. I got to use their very good binoculars to see eagles flying toward us, then pass just below us, only about 30 or 40 feet away. A very good day.
Ken
rberry5886, post: 405982, member: 232 wrote: the Jefferson Davis monument in Fairview, Ky
The photos I found of that monument don't seem to show the same step changes in width above the base.
I don't think there's any backdrop. Looks like a legit outdoor B&W from one of many "box" cameras that proliferated the market in the early 20th. century. Most were mfg. by Kodak and the common ones were known as the "Brownie". With outdoor photos the lenses and film could give a unique and almost 'painted' gradient toward infinity.
Bill93, post: 405986, member: 87 wrote: The photos I found of that monument don't seem to show the same step changes in width above the base.
I see what you are saying....also the mound it sits on....just guessing since it was a Kentucky connection
Bill93, post: 405983, member: 87 wrote: What makes you think that? I'm bothered by the light streak across the sky, which doesn't seem to continue as a scanning/printing/fading/damage defect across the hill or his suit. Its edges aren't straight; if they were I'd be more inclined to think it was a canvas. If the streak went across the hill and not the suit I might be convinced there was a backdrop.
But the shadows make me think he really is on the plank structure and leaning on the log. That would be an unusual studio accessory. And how do they get those shadows without putting too much light and shadows on a backdrop?
When I zoom in on him it has that blue screen look to it but it could just be a result of scanning too.
I agree the wooden structure is unusual in a photo studio.
Is the FA 1710 on the rail a clue?
High Point NJ viewed from
the North. To me at least.
I have family in that area. My nephew/godson went to
High Point HS.
High Point NJ looks about right. It's not the Jeff Davis monument. I go by that one every so often, it's not on much of a hill. I'm sure it's not a backdrop. I know he had a Brownie camera, may have even taken it himself with a timer. He was pretty crafty, took a lot of photos, and owned an auto repair shop in Philly until he retired.
Robert Hill, post: 405990, member: 378 wrote: High Point NJ viewed from
the North. To me at least.
The shadows cast in the photo would make it more likely to be taken from the vicinity of the Observation Deck on the Appalachian Trail, though.
@41.3168182,-74.6645279,3a,75y,1h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s-NXv7et--rg8%2FV9GW1V00hqI%2FAAAAAAAAUME%2FPMEpfRXT1NQYjeqD1srCuv6gteBOFSyAACLIB!2e4!3e11!6s%2F%2Flh6.googleusercontent.com%2F-NXv7et--rg8%2FV9GW1V00hqI%2FAAAAAAAAUME%2FPMEpfRXT1NQYjeqD1srCuv6gteBOFSyAACLIB%2Fw203-h100-k-no-pi-3.7465231-ya1.3795384-ro-1.806426-fo100%2F!7i5376!8i2688!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x89c343eb747939d1:0x57dcc94742de0819!2sHigh+Point+State+Park!8m2!3d41.3056679!4d-74.6711908!3m4!1s0x0:0x2967eb324ae97f53!8m2!3d41.3163918!4d-74.6645766!6m1!1e1'"> https://www.google.com/maps/place/High+Point+Observation+deck/ @41.3168182,-74.6645279,3a,75y,1h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s-NXv7et--rg8/V9GW1V00hqI/AAAAAAAAUME/PMEpfRXT1NQYjeqD1srCuv6gteBOFSyAACLIB!2e4!3e11!6s//lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NXv7et--rg8/V9GW1V00hqI/AAAAAAAAUME/PMEpfRXT1NQYjeqD1srCuv6gteBOFSyAACLIB/w203-h100-k-no-pi-3.7465231-ya1.3795384-ro-1.806426-fo100/!7i5376!8i2688!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x89c343eb747939d1:0x57dcc94742de0819!2sHigh+Point+State+Park!8m2!3d41.3056679!4d-74.6711908!3m4!1s0x0:0x2967eb324ae97f53!8m2!3d41.3163918!4d-74.6645766!6m1!1e1
Dave Karoly, post: 405989, member: 94 wrote: ...Is the FA 1710 on the rail a clue?
I perceived it to read "FA 1930". It kind of jumped at me since those were the initials of my grandfather Fred Ambros. And the film maybe appears to be a little underexposed.
paden cash, post: 406001, member: 20 wrote: I perceived it to read "FA 1930"
If it's a date, it's 1940. Part of the 9 is missing, though so I'm not absolutely sure it's the date. Here's an enlargement with lower gamma.
Bill93, post: 406003, member: 87 wrote: If it's a date, it's 1940. Part of the 9 is missing, though so I'm not absolutely sure it's the date. Here's an enlargement with lower gamma.
cool. I hadn't looked that close. I guess 1740 would make probably be kinda ludicrous as a date....;)
Kent McMillan, post: 405996, member: 3 wrote: The shadows cast in the photo would make it more likely to be taken from the vicinity of the Observation Deck on the Appalachian Trail, though.
@41.3168182,-74.6645279,3a,75y,1h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s-NXv7et--rg8%2FV9GW1V00hqI%2FAAAAAAAAUME%2FPMEpfRXT1NQYjeqD1srCuv6gteBOFSyAACLIB!2e4!3e11!6s%2F%2Flh6.googleusercontent.com%2F-NXv7et--rg8%2FV9GW1V00hqI%2FAAAAAAAAUME%2FPMEpfRXT1NQYjeqD1srCuv6gteBOFSyAACLIB%2Fw203-h100-k-no-pi-3.7465231-ya1.3795384-ro-1.806426-fo100%2F!7i5376!8i2688!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x89c343eb747939d1:0x57dcc94742de0819!2sHigh+Point+State+Park!8m2!3d41.3056679!4d-74.6711908!3m4!1s0x0:0x2967eb324ae97f53!8m2!3d41.3163918!4d-74.6645766!6m1!1e1'"> https://www.google.com/maps/place/High+Point+Observation+deck/ @41.3168182,-74.6645279,3a,75y,1h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s-NXv7et--rg8/V9GW1V00hqI/AAAAAAAAUME/PMEpfRXT1NQYjeqD1srCuv6gteBOFSyAACLIB!2e4!3e11!6s//lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NXv7et--rg8/V9GW1V00hqI/AAAAAAAAUME/PMEpfRXT1NQYjeqD1srCuv6gteBOFSyAACLIB/w203-h100-k-no-pi-3.7465231-ya1.3795384-ro-1.806426-fo100/!7i5376!8i2688!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x89c343eb747939d1:0x57dcc94742de0819!2sHigh+Point+State+Park!8m2!3d41.3056679!4d-74.6711908!3m4!1s0x0:0x2967eb324ae97f53!8m2!3d41.3163918!4d-74.6645766!6m1!1e1
Well , it looks like another mystery solved.
You guys rock!
Brad Ott, post: 406011, member: 197 wrote: You guys rock!
Yes, I agree. Knowing he had been just about everywhere in the US, we didn't know where to start.
Robert Hill, post: 406010, member: 378 wrote: Well , it looks like another mystery solved.
This looks like a new game we can play....
