A Blast From The Past - Classic Ads or Images
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Native Americans from southeast Idaho, c. 1890
Rows of cars line the curb as a result of free parking over Labor Day weekend in New York City, Sept. 6, 1942.
Southern Pacific Steam Engine, Kern Oil Fields near Bakersfield, Ca. 1908
This is an old Fred Machetanz painting. The homestead I purchased is on the same mountain that this guy is standing on and I recognize all the mountains and hills in the badkground. Still to this day, no signs of anything man made in the view.
I found the first photo on the net with just the name Jim Meads. Turns out to be an interesting story.
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Test pilot George Aird - flying a English Electric Lightning F1 - ejected from the aircraft at a fantastically low altitude in Hatfield, Hertfordshire on September 13, 1962.
The aircraft was designed and created by the English Electric Aviation Company, who’d been contracted to develop a jet bomber at the end of World War II.
The aircraft in the photograph was XG332. It was built in 1959, one of 20 pre-production Lightnings.
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Jim Meads is the man who took the picture. He was a professional photographer who lived near the airfield, next door to de Havilland test pilot Bob Sowray.
So, the story goes: Bob Sowray mentioned to Jim Meads that he was going to fly the Lightning that day. When Meads took his kids for a walk, he took his camera along, hoping to get a shot of the plane.
His plan was to take a photograph of the children with the airfield in the background as the Lightning came in to land. They found a good view of the final approach path and waited for the Lightning to return.
(turns out Sowray didn't fly that day, another test pilot got the flight)
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The 15yr old kid on the tractor was Mick Sutterby. Here's an email he sent about the indecent.
From: Mick Sutterby
Subject: Re: Lightning aircraft crash at Hatfield
I followed my father into work at de Havilland, Hatfield in 1954 when I was 15. My father was the foreman in charge of the aerodrome and gardens. My job in the summer was gang-mowing the airfield and at the time of the crash in 1962 the grass had stopped growing and we were trimming round the ‘overshoot’ of the runway with a ‘side-mower’.
I stopped to talk to a chap with a camera who was walking up a ditch to the overshoot. I stopped to tell him that he shouldn’t be here, I heard a roar and turned round and he took the picture! He turned out to be a friend of the pilot and had walked up the ditch to photograph his friend in the Lightning. I saw some bits fly off the plane before it crashed but it was the photographer who told me he had ejected.
There was not a big explosion when it crashed, just a loud ‘whhooooof’. I was about 200 yards from the crash scene. I saw men running out of the greenhouses and checking the scene of the crash. The works fire brigade were on the scene within a minute.
Somewhere at home I have a picture of it burning. Although the picture shows it nose diving to the ground, in fact it was slowly turning over and it hit the ground upside down nose first.
I was later told that if the pilot had ejected a split second later he would have ejected himself into the ground. I was very lucky. If I had known he was coming into land, I would have been positioned near the ILS (Instrument Landing System) aerial which was only 20 yards or so from the crash site! I believe the photographer had his photo restricted by the Air Ministry for – I think – about 3 months because the plane was secret.
He then took it to the Daily Mail who said it was a fake. The photo was eventually published by the Daily Mirror. From there it went round the world, and I remember seeing a copy in the RAF museum at Hendon. I recollect the photographer usually photographed hunting scenes for magazines like The Field. I recollect that the pilot broke his legs but really was very lucky. I hope this is interesting. All from memory!
Best wishes,
Mick Sutterby
Ahhh... Who's idea was it to built glass green houses next to a test flight facility?
Must have got that land cheap... needed extra cash for
insurance!
-----------------------------------------------------------
Test pilot George Aird - flying a English Electric Lightning F1 - ejected from the aircraft at a fantastically low altitude in Hatfield, Hertfordshire on September 13, 1962.
The aircraft was designed and created by the English Electric Aviation Company, who’d been contracted to develop a jet bomber at the end of World War II.
The aircraft in the photograph was XG332. It was built in 1959, one of 20 pre-production Lightnings.
-----------------------------------
Jim Meads is the man who took the picture. He was a professional photographer who lived near the airfield, next door to de Havilland test pilot Bob Sowray.
So, the story goes: Bob Sowray mentioned to Jim Meads that he was going to fly the Lightning that day. When Meads took his kids for a walk, he took his camera along, hoping to get a shot of the plane.
His plan was to take a photograph of the children with the airfield in the background as the Lightning came in to land. They found a good view of the final approach path and waited for the Lightning to return.
(turns out Sowray didn't fly that day, another test pilot got the flight)
------------------------------
The 15yr old kid on the tractor was Mick Sutterby. Here's an email he sent about the indecent.
From: Mick Sutterby
Subject: Re: Lightning aircraft crash at Hatfield
I followed my father into work at de Havilland, Hatfield in 1954 when I was 15. My father was the foreman in charge of the aerodrome and gardens. My job in the summer was gang-mowing the airfield and at the time of the crash in 1962 the grass had stopped growing and we were trimming round the ‘overshoot’ of the runway with a ‘side-mower’.
I stopped to talk to a chap with a camera who was walking up a ditch to the overshoot. I stopped to tell him that he shouldn’t be here, I heard a roar and turned round and he took the picture! He turned out to be a friend of the pilot and had walked up the ditch to photograph his friend in the Lightning. I saw some bits fly off the plane before it crashed but it was the photographer who told me he had ejected.
There was not a big explosion when it crashed, just a loud ‘whhooooof’. I was about 200 yards from the crash scene. I saw men running out of the greenhouses and checking the scene of the crash. The works fire brigade were on the scene within a minute.
Somewhere at home I have a picture of it burning. Although the picture shows it nose diving to the ground, in fact it was slowly turning over and it hit the ground upside down nose first.
I was later told that if the pilot had ejected a split second later he would have ejected himself into the ground. I was very lucky. If I had known he was coming into land, I would have been positioned near the ILS (Instrument Landing System) aerial which was only 20 yards or so from the crash site! I believe the photographer had his photo restricted by the Air Ministry for – I think – about 3 months because the plane was secret.
He then took it to the Daily Mail who said it was a fake. The photo was eventually published by the Daily Mirror. From there it went round the world, and I remember seeing a copy in the RAF museum at Hendon. I recollect the photographer usually photographed hunting scenes for magazines like The Field. I recollect that the pilot broke his legs but really was very lucky. I hope this is interesting. All from memory!
Best wishes,
Mick Sutterby
Ahhh... Who's idea was it to built glass green houses next to a test flight facility?
Must have got that land cheap... needed extra cash forinsurance!
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Aerial view of a Drive-In movie theater in South Bend, Indiana, circa 1955
Coffee machine as an extra feature in a Volkswagen, 1959
Hood River, Oregon, Post Office 1883.
King Ferdinand and Queen Marie of Romania arriving at Dover, England for a state visit on May 12, 1924
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I spent many a time enjoying the amusements at drive in theaters as a kid in the 60s.
Ben
That looks to be in the winter with the trees without leaves. My drive in time with my bride was in the late 1970s at the Kamahama Drive In on Oahu.
I live in Hawaii in 1966 and we went to that drive in.
We saw Our Man Flint with Lee J. Cobb and James Coburn.
I have no idea how or why I remember that.
Don't ask me what I had for breakfast though.
I wonder what the story is about that drive inn picture.
No people walking around and cars parked in unusual places. Some where they couldn't have even seen the screen.
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I saw that (Our man Flint) at the drive in as well. We have watched it many times. When men were men...
Ben
A lot of young people "parking"!
That was my favorite thing about drive insA lot of young people "parking"!
We used to go to the drive-in all nighters in the early 80's. Three movies back to back. It was the only way to see a movie with kids. The first movie was a kid movie and they would fall asleep so we could watch the next two.
In the winter, we had to keep the window from icing up and at the end all the vehicles still running left while everyone else waited for the tow truck to come down the line for a jump.
The drive-in didn't close till the temperature hit -30. The tow truck also doubled as a snow plough. His services were included in the price of the ticket, but snow mobile service for the concession stand was extra.
We always put a couple $ in the donation box.
In the winter, we had to keep the window from icing up and at the end all the vehicles still running left while everyone else waited for the tow truck to come down the line for a jump.
The drive-in didn't close till the temperature hit -30. The tow truck also doubled as a snow plough. His services were included in the price of the ticket, but snow mobile service for the concession stand was extra.
We always put a couple $ in the donation box.
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That'd be me. I put on an apron after getting dressed. Husband wanted me to take it off for that avatar photo. He was sending that photo to a friend of ours that gardens.
My apron has to have pockets or I won't wear it. I have at least 5 of them hanging on a hook in the kitchen. Some are "good" aprons, and some are "choring" aprons. Choring aprons are the ones I would wear after getting up...clean chore clothes and and an apron. A cell phone goes in the pocket of the chore apron so husband can call if he needs help. By the time I need to start lunch, that apron will get thrown in the wash, I do a total clothes change, and I look dressed a bit better. Ha. The story of my aprons. Youngest daughter just asked me for a Christmas idea and I told her an apron. She said that I had alot of them. I told her some of the choring ones need to be retired to the rag box.
My apron has to have pockets or I won't wear it. I have at least 5 of them hanging on a hook in the kitchen. Some are "good" aprons, and some are "choring" aprons. Choring aprons are the ones I would wear after getting up...clean chore clothes and and an apron. A cell phone goes in the pocket of the chore apron so husband can call if he needs help. By the time I need to start lunch, that apron will get thrown in the wash, I do a total clothes change, and I look dressed a bit better. Ha. The story of my aprons. Youngest daughter just asked me for a Christmas idea and I told her an apron. She said that I had alot of them. I told her some of the choring ones need to be retired to the rag box.
# me too.
Doctor visits sick child at home. Missouri, USA. 1942
This is what actual immigration looks like... New York's Ellis Island. c1900
Time's Square before all the renovations and billboards - 1919
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Lee Marvin, Wild Ones
Los Angeles Police Department Motor Officer 1930
The 15-mile penny farthing race of the Harvard Bicycle Club, 1887
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Today, Saturday I just bought a couple grand worth of Silver- Latest: Mountain trapper
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