APRIL 1957 – A prestigious finca at Avenida Jaime I el Conquistador in San Juan, Spain, on a sunny day. Scan © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com
The story behind the image
A while ago I wrote about the challenges of finding out where a historical photo was taken. Here’s another image from our archive belonging to the same image set. It shows a beautiful finca or villa in San Juan d’Alacant. And guess what? It was quite a challenge to find this location as well. But I think I’ve found it.
A handwritten comment on the back mentions San Juan d’Alacant and I assume it is correct. Other images of that set show the same quality and style. So we have an idea where to look. Other points to consider:
- A single train track is visible in the front.
- There is a distinct solid wall on the left.
- The terraces could also be an indicator for the location.
- There is an archway of sorts on the right.
Okay, it is next to impossible to find the location of a photo that was taken almost seven decades ago in an area that has substantially changed over this long period. But with the indicators above I identified this spot: 63 Avenida Jaime I el Conquistador.
There is the same solid wall that even uses the same angle. The terraces are similar, but the palm trees have grown over time. The train line might have been relocated. It is now a few steps to the left of the Avenida next to the camera location. The finca is gone and has been replaced by large highrises.
What about the archway then? Well, this has been preserved, at least somewhat. There still is an archway at the end of the tiny alley of palm trees center right. The gate has been replaced by a door.
By the way, here is a funny shot of that series, showing our three heroes as they try to escape the sun by seeking the shadow of – a large cactus!
Design ideas
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | April 1957 |
| Location | San Juan d’Alacant, Spain |
| Image Source | 7 x 10 cm black and white print |
| Digital Image Source | EPSON Perfection 4870 Photo |
| Digital Image Source Format | TIFF, 48 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 4493 x 3125 Pixels |
| Copyright | © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
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