Mystery solved: Albuquerque, New Mexico not Tucson, AZ street scene / location??

[mtbdudex]

Note:
The OP I made below assumed Tuscon, AZ, however forum members corrected me the location is Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Still a neat picture.


I figure someone here might have been to Tucson AZ and could recognize the street scene below from the late 1960’s.

The picture has so much going on it, draws you inside.
I love the “old cars”, cheap gas (0.34/gallon!), etc.
One can just imagine where the USA was at that moment in time, kinda neat.
There are times I just stare into the picture and let my mind wonder, it's just to the left of our 24" iMac in our loft.

I did a Google map view of Tucson, but hard for me to pin down the street (Broadway??) and direction of the shot.

The big bank building, “First National Bank”, may still be there?
Kirkland AFB sign?? AztecMotel, TraveLodge?
I’d like to know some history, to share with people when they come over.

Any info you have helps put a story to the picture.
(I bought it 10 years ago in Chicago and did not ask then, should have)

Who took this picture?
Is there a neat story to go with the picture?

Picture in our loft area:
http://lh3.google.com/mtbdudex/R8hAWGJG9GI/AAAAAAAABg8/9pxJwhSokfQ/s400/Loft%20Tucson%20Pict1.jpg

Tucson, AZ in the late 1960's:
Does this street scene still exist?
All these places gone?
http://lh3.google.com/mtbdudex/R8hAYGJG9HI/AAAAAAAABhE/BAiCazK2Zko/s800/Loft%20Tucson%20Pict2.jpg

[doug in albq]

you got your cities mixed up. That looks like Albuquerque, New Mexico.


Central Ave. also know as Route 66........................

[jake-g]

Yes, thats defintely Central in Albuquerque. Ironically it hasnt changed much at all from that picture, but that is New Mexico for you. I believe No Country for Old Men has a shot in there that is very similar to your photo.

[IJ Reilly]

Yes, thats defintely Central in Albuquerque. Ironically it hasnt changed much at all from that picture, but that is New Mexico for you. I believe No Country for Old Men has a shot in there that is very similar to your photo.

I've only been to Albuquerque one time but my first clue was the sign for Carlisle. This is Central Ave SE (Route 66) in Albuquerque looking east from near the intersection of Carlisle Boulevard. The Aztec Hotel, which can be seen on the left side of the street, still exists.

http://www.daplus.us/ShowPhoto.aspx?abi=DA7907775DCC9AF10A9A47C16F5DB1132EA4CE2BCA43D6F2949A95FD911E42F2&Partner=400240

[mtbdudex]

Doug/Jake/Reily;

Thx guys! Somehow I had assumed Tucson, AZ, now I got the correct location, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a quick google map shows it.
Route 66, neat!

Neat, now if only I knew more of the story behind the picture...

Who took it?
Why?
Was it just a picture for sake of a picture?
Some assignment that turned into a money making opportunity by making prints?
(in my memory I paid around $400-ish back in 1998 for it)

The picture is frameless and I can't find anything else in my file cabinet under the "misc stuff" folder where my odds/ends junk goes.

[-hh]

You'll probably need to be incredibly lucky to find out the whole story behind the photo, but you might want to inquire at the local newspaper.

To start to bracket the date of the photo, the VW Beetle on the lefthand side looks like it has the bumper style that VW introduced in the 1968 model year. If correct, that would mean that the photo couldn't have been taken before that product intro, eg, late 1967.

The traffic light design uses a very small yellow light. You can probably use that cue through finding out what year they were replaced with a more modern traffic light design to put an upper date on when the photo could have been taken. As per the street sign on the right, the cross street is Carlisle Blvd...and the 34 cents per gallon for gasoline at the Conoco station will also help bracket the date.

I'm going to go out on a limb and make a wild guess, and say that based on the roads being wet and that black sky that this wasn't a night time photo, but the story behind this image was to document some wild weather that had just passed through.

-hh

[jbernie]

bingo!

http://blog.espen.net/blog2/blogs/blog_espen.php/2006/08/20/route_66_albuquerque_nm_and_ernst_haas

"There's a famous photo that Ernst Hass took in 1969. It's in many galleries around the World. It was taken here in Albuquerque on old Route 66 at Central Avenue and Carlisle"

Did a few google searches and eventually got it with: "famous photos of storms in Albuquerque, nm"

You can use this as a good starting point to hopefully find out more about the photo and the photographer.

[IJ Reilly]

Well done! I'd have that photo properly framed.

[mtbdudex]

bingo!

http://blog.espen.net/blog2/blogs/blog_espen.php/2006/08/20/route_66_albuquerque_nm_and_ernst_haas

"There's a famous photo that Ernst Hass took in 1969. It's in many galleries around the World. It was taken here in Albuquerque on old Route 66 at Central Avenue and Carlisle"

Did a few google searches and eventually got it with: "famous photos of storms in Albuquerque, nm"

You can use this as a good starting point to hopefully find out more about the photo and the photographer.
Thx so much!

Yep, that's my photo in the story, neat.
So, the end to this story......or is it?:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[mtbdudex]

Well done! I'd have that photo properly framed.

Honestly with all the wood in our log home the unframed pict and it's black border contrasts just perfectly, and now I can tell guests "the rest of the story".

Thx for your help.

[harcosparky]

Man that pic brings back tons of memories.

I live in El Paso, Texas back in the 70's and 80's and spent a lot of time up in Albuquerque as well as any small town that had a pool hall/bar!

Where did you find that photo?

[doug in albq]

the car's plates & Road sign gives it away for me. I live less than 5 miles from there.

Interesting that the OP mentions Kirtland AFB, with only a couple of letters on the sign itself in the picture.

Also, I happen to live in Albq. now and have lived in Tucson, and have family still in Tucson.

[IJ Reilly]

Honestly with all the wood in our log home the unframed pict and it's black border contrasts just perfectly, and now I can tell guests "the rest of the story".

Thx for your help.

I suggested framing mainly because the photo might have some value. A proper framing would preserve it.

[David Corll]

Hi there,
I grew up in Albuquerque and probably went through that intersection no less than several thousand times in the 34 years I lived there. I found some information about that print while trying to obtain my own copy tonight. The photographer was Ernst Haas, deceased in 1986. Taken in 1969 right after a thunderstorm (rare for Albuquerque). I was there last February and took some photos of my own from that intersection, facing east. It has changed significantly but several key points are still there.
I would be happy to answer any questions you have about that area.
David
PS Red Robin Restaurants has a large copy of that print in most of their restaurants.




Note:
The OP I made below assumed Tuscon, AZ, however forum members corrected me the location is Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Still a neat picture.


I figure someone here might have been to Tucson AZ and could recognize the street scene below from the late 1960’s.

The picture has so much going on it, draws you inside.
I love the “old cars”, cheap gas (0.34/gallon!), etc.
One can just imagine where the USA was at that moment in time, kinda neat.
There are times I just stare into the picture and let my mind wonder, it's just to the left of our 24" iMac in our loft.

I did a Google map view of Tucson, but hard for me to pin down the street (Broadway??) and direction of the shot.

The big bank building, “First National Bank”, may still be there?
Kirkland AFB sign?? AztecMotel, TraveLodge?
I’d like to know some history, to share with people when they come over.

Any info you have helps put a story to the picture.
(I bought it 10 years ago in Chicago and did not ask then, should have)

Who took this picture?
Is there a neat story to go with the picture?

Picture in our loft area:
http://lh3.google.com/mtbdudex/R8hAWGJG9GI/AAAAAAAABg8/9pxJwhSokfQ/s400/Loft%20Tucson%20Pict1.jpg

Tucson, AZ in the late 1960's:
Does this street scene still exist?
All these places gone?
http://lh3.google.com/mtbdudex/R8hAYGJG9HI/AAAAAAAABhE/BAiCazK2Zko/s800/Loft%20Tucson%20Pict2.jpg