This old photo of someone’s hot rod seems to be from the early 1970s and the scene is very likely Commonwealth Avenue in Gary-New Duluth. But if this is showing Commonwealth Avenue, where specifically?
Back in April I drove out to Gary to visit a mechanic and on the way I stopped at my best guess, facing north across the street from the Alpine Bar.
It didn’t seem to match up well, so when I visited the mechanic I showed him the photo and asked if he had any theories. “You’re shooting in the wrong direction,” he said. “Shoot south toward Boy Scout Landing.”
So on my way home I gave it another shot.
In general this perspective seemed to match up even less, except for the Shotz Bar building between the two gas stations, which seems to closely resemble the building in the center of the old photo. If one imagines the gas stations replaced a few of the buildings in the old photo, then maybe this is the right location.
However, just as I was starting to believe, a guy drove up and got out of his car. I happened to be standing in front of the building he lives in, so I showed him the photo. He told me he has lived in that area his entire life, and that the old photo faces the Boy Scout Landing direction, but I was standing too far north. “It’s not these buildings,” he said. “Go south about four blocks.”
So I did.
From the 500 block of Commonwealth southward, nothing seemed to match up. Certainly some buildings in the old photo are gone now, but there must be enough left for the dirty black-and-white relic to line up with something.
So now I put it out there for the world. Was the mystery photo shot on Commonwealth Avenue? Where specifically? What kind of car is that? Can you name any background buildings?
Any clues at all are welcome.
