Where was Grandpa??

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tabby
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Where was Grandpa??

Post by tabby »

Does anyone recognize the background in this photo? I know it's a long shot but you never know!

My maternal grandfather is the man on the left ... I have no idea of the identity of the man on the right.

I'm speculating the photo was taken some place in southern Europe or northern Africa judging by the trees and architecture. I have pored over what seems like zillions of photos of equestrian statues online with no luck. None had the horse's tail, head or legs all in that position. I never knew there were so many variations on the theme!

Does the location look at all familiar to any of the travelers here?

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LarsMac
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Where was Grandpa??

Post by LarsMac »

Here is a clue to one possible candidate:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuno_%C3%81lvares_Pereira

Statue of D. Nuno Álvares Pereira, next to the Monastery of Batalha
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Ahso!
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Where was Grandpa??

Post by Ahso! »

I wonder - is there a name for the type of pedestal the statue sits on? Do you know what year the photo was taken?
“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities,”

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LarsMac
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Where was Grandpa??

Post by LarsMac »

That seems to be a pretty unique Pedestal.
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tabby
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Where was Grandpa??

Post by tabby »

LarsMac;1529176 wrote: Here is a clue to one possible candidate:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuno_%C3%81lvares_Pereira

Statue of D. Nuno Álvares Pereira, next to the Monastery of Batalha


Thank you, Lars, that's a very close match but not exact. The horse's tail is different and the legs are positioned with a slight difference. I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't in the same area though. Following that lead, I did a search and found a list of equestrian statues in Spain and sometime today I'll take the time to scan though them.
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tabby
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Where was Grandpa??

Post by tabby »

Ahso!;1529182 wrote: I wonder - is there a name for the type of pedestal the statue sits on? Do you know what year the photo was taken?


I'm not sure, Ahso but I think it was probably sometime in the late 1930s to mid 1940s. He joined the Merchant Marines at some point during the war (I don't know if it was before the USA joined or after). I'm guessing that's how he ended up where ever this is although if it is, he must have been on leave.
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Where was Grandpa??

Post by spot »

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=artigas+monte ... &ia=images

That's the chap. Not a doubt. Just outside the Radisson in Montivideo's Independence Plaza. The urn holding the bloke on the horse is displayed in the mausoleum beneath the statue.

https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.906356 ... 704!8i4352



Ahso!;1529182 wrote: I wonder - is there a name for the type of pedestal the statue sits on?


Bas relief.

The next question has to be who the third gentleman in the photo is.
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tabby
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Where was Grandpa??

Post by tabby »

spot;1529188 wrote: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=artigas+monte ... &ia=images

That's the chap. Not a doubt. Just outside the Radisson in Montivideo's Independence Plaza. The urn holding the bloke on the horse is displayed in the mausoleum beneath the statue.

https://www.google.com/maps/@-34.906356 ... 704!8i4352







Bas relief.

The next question has to be who the third gentleman in the photo is.


That's it!! Thank you!! I wasn't even searching on the correct continent!! I'm in awe.

I don't have a clue who the man with him is and can't imagine how to find out. Maybe he was a fellow shipman or else Grandpa made a friend while sightseeing.

The area around the statue has certainly modernized in the intervening 80 years ... no surprises there!

Thank you again! :)
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spot
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Where was Grandpa??

Post by spot »

tabby;1529197 wrote: Maybe he was a fellow shipman or else Grandpa made a friend while sightseeing.


If you'd like to see Montevideo as it was in the thirties, there's a home movie at

Only one thing ever happened round those parts, the sinking of the Graf Spee five miles downriver. That was in 1939 which is bang in the middle of your timeframe.

So, do you know the names of any of the ships he crewed?

If you feel you can PM me his name too, I can keep that private but it might be on a crew list.

Oh - those trees you noted. There's 33 of them, one for each of the original liberators of Uruguay in 1830. Presumably they keep spares round the back.
Nullius in verba ... ☎||||||||||| ... To Fate I sue, of other means bereft, the only refuge for the wretched left.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
Who has a spare two minutes to play in this month's FG Trivia game! ... My other OS is Slackware.
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tabby
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Where was Grandpa??

Post by tabby »

Thank you! I don't know the names of any of the ships and I wish I had paid more attention when I was young and all the adults would be sitting around talking about these things. I remember hearing snatches of conversation about his being on a ship that was torpedoed and his being in a life boat with other crew members and their being rescued by another ship and taken to a Red Cross Station.

I was under the impression that event had occurred in the Mediterranean but between youth, minimal interest at the time and the passing of years, I won't swear to the facts.

The video was interesting to watch and the statue pops up early on! The city looks like it was as modern as any at the time.

I notice the women in his photo are wearing coats which made me curious about their seasons. I googled their weather and found this: "In Montevideo, the summers are warm and humid; the winters are cold; and it is wet, windy, and partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 45°F to 80°F and is rarely below 36°F or above 89°F."
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Where was Grandpa??

Post by Ahso! »

How did you find it, spot?
“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities,”

Voltaire



I have only one thing to do and that's

Be the wave that I am and then

Sink back into the ocean

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spot
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Where was Grandpa??

Post by spot »

Ahso!;1529209 wrote: How did you find it, spot?


It's near the bottom of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_e ... an_statues

The trick is not skimming past it. The angle is different but the wrap-around relief is a dead giveaway.








Someone tell me what this uniform is? I'm thinking variations of WWII, US Merchant Navy, Petty officer or officer steward, but the question is really out of my league.


Nullius in verba ... ☎||||||||||| ... To Fate I sue, of other means bereft, the only refuge for the wretched left.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
Who has a spare two minutes to play in this month's FG Trivia game! ... My other OS is Slackware.
Ahso!
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Where was Grandpa??

Post by Ahso! »

You have a keen eye. I was going to search for it focusing on the pedestal/equestrian combo. That's why I asked what it was called. Good job. Using Wikipedia was smart too.
“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities,”

Voltaire



I have only one thing to do and that's

Be the wave that I am and then

Sink back into the ocean

Fiona Apple
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tabby
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Where was Grandpa??

Post by tabby »



Someone tell me what this uniform is? I'm thinking variations of WWII, US Merchant Navy, Petty officer or officer steward, but the question is really out of my league.




The photo in uniform was taken in the 1940s at a Coney Island photo booth!

Here's one with my mother in Newport, Rhode Island:

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