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?
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.
Where was Grandpa??
Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2019 11:38 am
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.
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.
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.
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!
Where was Grandpa??
Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2019 4:09 pm
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.
Where was Grandpa??
Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2019 4:53 pm
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."
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.
Where was Grandpa??
Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2019 3:07 pm
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.
Where was Grandpa??
Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2019 4:29 pm
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:
