# Shorpy Photo Analysis **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 10, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorpy-photo-analysis/673594 "2013-11-10T19:51:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorpy-photo-analysis/673594/1 "2013-11-10T19:51:10Z")
[Exhibit 1:](http://www.shorpy.com/node/16440) What’s with all the neatly arranged chairs? If they’re for whatever is to be projected on the white sheet (if that’s what the sheet is for), why aren’t they facing it? And what’s with the figure on the weirdly braced pedestal? It looks like a statue of a man holding an oar. Or is it a real person in some flagpole sitting type performance thing? These are important questions! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorpy-photo-analysis/673594/2 "2013-11-10T22:11:29Z")
At a guess, the seating is for a band positioned on the boardwalk; I came across some unclear text references to that effect. The sheet - possibly for rear-projection of magic lantern slides at night. The statue - not a clue. All that comes up is a discussion of the founder’s statue, which isn’t the same. It looks like a generic sailor holding an oar, maybe for one of the boat or canoe rental shops. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorpy-photo-analysis/673594/3 "2013-11-10T23:12:01Z")
My guess is either a parade going by on the boardwalk, or maybe fireworks over the water. Or maybe a boat parade on the water. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorpy-photo-analysis/673594/4 "2013-11-11T06:28:44Z")
What a clear & sharp photo. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorpy-photo-analysis/673594/5 "2013-11-11T09:27:01Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > What a clear & sharp photo. It’s been sharpened, but still . . . ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorpy-photo-analysis/673594/6 "2013-11-11T20:00:50Z")
Yeah, older, simpler lenses & big sized plate negatives did some amazing work. Thanks for posting that picture. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorpy-photo-analysis/673594/7 "2013-11-13T10:44:04Z")
Children everywhere… Are any in uniforms or overly dressed up ? Here’s a video of Annual baby parade, 1904, Asbury Park, N.J. [http://www.loc.gov/item/mp73003100](http://www.loc.gov/item/mp73003100) What I am finding is that is what Asbury Boardwalk is famous for. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorpy-photo-analysis/673594/8 "2013-11-13T10:51:34Z")
All about early Asbury [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IWxpNoqOyoU/hqdefault.jpg "History of Asbury Park NJ - Garden State Film Festival") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWxpNoqOyoU) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shorpy-photo-analysis/673594/9 "2013-11-13T11:31:44Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > ? And what’s with the figure on the weirdly braced pedestal? It looks like a statue of a man holding an oar. Or is it a real person in some flagpole sitting type performance thing? These are important questions! 🙂 Definitely a statue - he’s about 8 feet tall. I think he’s supposed to be standing on a ship’s mast.