39°53’22″N 74°59’54″W (The Google Rephotographic Project)
Petit's Mobil Station, by George Tice
I came across the water tower from George Tice’s “Petit’s Mobil Station” this weekend on a trip to Philadelphia. The tower is not exactly hidden, it can be seen clearly from the Turnpike, but I have driven past it many times without noticing that it was there.
I would have liked to stop and take a look around; maybe see if I could find the exact vantage point from which the photograph was taken. It would be interesting to get a feel for how Tice made his decisions that night. In my few forays into night photography, I have found that the logistical difficulties of the day multiply. Framing an image like that on a view camera at night must have been nearly impossible.
Instead, I have to satisfy myself with these satellite images and street views from Google, at least until the next time I happen to be in south Jersey.
Petit's Mobil Station on Google Maps
Petit's Mobil Station, street view on Google Maps
While playing around with Google, I began to think about collecting coordinates, URLS, and Google Map views of other famous photographs. What would the street view look like for Stephen Shore’s “Beverly Boulevard and La Brea Avenue” look like, for example?
Beverly Boulevard and La Brea Avenue, by Stephen Shore
Beverly Boulevard and La Brea Avenue on Google Maps
Unlike the Tice photograph, the Chevron station is still there. But I am willing to bet that many of the other commercial landmarks in the area have changed in the 30 years since Shore took his photograph.
Photographer Christopher Rauschenberg talks about walking around in Atget’s shoes in this interview on Lens Culture. Famous photographic sites are all around us, especially in dense urban areas like New York City. Can you think of any well-known photographs whose sites are easily accessible? Have you ever happened upon one? Did you collect photographic evidence?
February 17, 2009