My Toughest Challenge Yet.. Attempting to Locate This 1920's Traveller's Photograph.
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- Geo Detective is back and it is most certainly with a bang.
This was by far by toughest challenge yet. It's always automatically harder when the photo was taken 100 years ago because we don't know how much things have changed, but this one really did throw more than a few spanners.
I'd only been defeated once before going into this one, and even that one was within 5 miles. Could we see my first failure here? Sit back, relax, watch this rollercoaster of a journey unfold and you will find out.
PS. Apologies for taking so long with this one. Had lots of life stuff going on this summer to accompany this gruelling challenge. It won't happen again!
![Can I Locate The Street In This Harrowing 1980's Public Information Film? [GEO DETECTIVE #21]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_Jw3aQmiMC8/mqdefault.jpg)
![Can I Locate The Street In This Harrowing 1980's Public Information Film? [GEO DETECTIVE #21]](/img/tr.png)
![These posers think I won't find them... [GEO DETECTIVE #23]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RDA7CU_afNc/mqdefault.jpg)
SPOILERS:
Cheers for your patience with this one everyone. Plenty more of these to come in the coming months. Do quickly drop this one a like if you enjoyed.
Finally, I realise I placed the pin in slightly the wrong place when I watched the edit back. I’m gonna amend that on Google Earth.
You can pin the obs icon in the visible portion of the taskbar tray in the bottom right.
Press on the up arrow, click and drag obs down next to the clock and then youll have a clear visual icon if it is actually recording or not, as if it is a red dot will appear on the top right on the icon itself.
lol or he can get a second monitor lol OBS on one, recording screen on the other
@@Girasole4ever
How do you submit photos I may have an old one that you will like
"are we recording?"
You should go for a job with the CIA, blindfold, with Rain or Zi8
i think the anti climax was also due to the realisation that the island looked so beautiful then and has now been battered and bruised so much that it just looks like a shell of itself
I think you’re right! Pretty sad..
Both from the natural disasters but also corruption and foreign influence. The suffering has been significant.
The historical difference between french occupied haiti and spanish occupied dominican republic is staggering and sad.@@johnsona6428
Haiti still need help to this day, and you can donate to multiple organizations if you want to help them.
It tends to happen to places full of Africans
Tom’s meltdown at the “four sided dome” had me crying with laughter. 😂
SAME LMAO. I'm in tears right now. "WHERE'S THE KEY?!?!"
These videos are gold. I imagine the money made from them would be enough to pay for the therapy that making the videos would cause him to need. Almost a win-win of sorts.
I could feel his frustration, whoever made that photo without a key is a massive troll.
@@zengrathI had to pause to check the wikipedia article when I saw this and someone has fixed it
I love how someone has obviously seen this video and gone to the wiki page for the roof shapes and annotated the names for the roof types under the image that didn't have it when poor Tom was struggling away.
this is hilarious
It was added the day the video was released. Obviously by a fan.
Hopefully it'll help some other poor old chap in their search for roof shapes
It doesn't even say 4-sided-dome. This should be the new way to call these.
...and it was 'Cloister Vault' as Tom found but thought it was underground. haha
So crazy to think about going on an international vacation from Sweden to Haiti in the 1920s. That is a big event even today.
Well I can see a Swede going to the Dominican in 2023, so a Swede going to Haiti in 1923 seems reasonable enough. Between 1915 and 1934, Haiti was occupied by the US and had roads and other infrastructure like public buildings constructed. That could be the reason for some of the buildings seen in the first photo
Today they would kill you if you sat there. They evolved backwards into animals. At some places in Haiti they slaughter people on the streets and eat their hearts :x
@@GoGoErrek Didn't ask you to say "Didn't ask"
P pm
he must have been rich
Wow, that moment you moved the camera to the harbor and suddenly we could see how all the hills and water lined up. Wasn’t expecting that. Congratulations!
I know this isn't you fault but the way this showed up as the first comment ie basically spoling the whole video is so annoying. 😅 RUclips just loves to do that.
@@thespankmyfrankhe didn't spoil the location though 🤔 or he spoiled that Tom eventually found it but I wouldn't expect anything less from him 😂
@@thespankmyfrankYeah same for me, bit annoying 🥲
@@thespankmyfrank Oops, sorry it got spoiled for you. To be fair, nearly all the top comments are spoiling he found it, and he usually wouldn't upload the video if he hasn't found it. At least my comment doesn't spoil the location like some of the top comments do 🤷♂
@@thespankmyfrank Don't read the comments before watching, that should be obvious
This one was just kind of sad. Everything that made the image distinct and beautiful is gone, and the world of that picture no longer exists. Still an incredible find though Tom. Well done.
that is the history of the world, nothing lasts forever.
When I saw the picture of the destroyed presidential building I really felt bad. Haiti has had such a tough run as a nation.
I don't know, the fact it was the hills that provided confirmation of the location is a fitting reminder that the world does not belong to humanity and there's a certain beauty in that. Once our individual stories are over, the marks we leave behind will fade, but the place we once lived will continue without us.
exactly this ^ @@Stuzo2
I actually find some sort of bittersweet beauty in that; your adventures are your own and can only have happened in those moments in time. They are unique and you had to be there to experience it.
My favourite series on RUclips! Please more of these Tom!
Fr I could watch these all the time
All day!
Agreed! It's so nice to follow the process, especially on the harder ones. Finally finding the place feels so rewarding.
I really enjoyed this one. I actually live in Haiti. I recognized the second photo as the presidential palace mostly because of the statue. It is the statue of the liberator of Haiti Toussaint L'ouverture. I never expected to see Haiti pop up on here. Nice job Tom!
is it the same statue as it was back then?
The statue that comes up in Google looks a lot different
@@joelh9581 I don't know about that particular statue. But there are many very similar statues scattered around Haiti.
I'm finding old images (1920s era) of "The Statue to Dessalines", which looks quite similar to the one in Toms photo, where the figure has his saber raised, etc. He's wearing a hat that makes his head look like a little girls hairdo.
@@glenmiller1437That could be, the statue is pretty far away so I can't tell who exactly it is. I have seen very similar statues of L'ouverture
Impressive Tom! Your perseverence paid off.
There are actually multiple pictures of the church from the 1920s and they match your photo exactly. Mustve been rebuilt multiple times. Good job!
It isn't easy to make a sad geo detective video but this one got me for sure. I remember the 2010 earthquake well, but to see buildings that stood for at least 90 years completely gone ande demolished to the point where you immediately dismissed it? It hit hard.
Same here. I remember the earthquake, but I never realized how hard it must have hit.
Honestly thought this one would be impossible. I shouldn’t have doubted you! Well done.
Incredible you called out the "French Style" of architecture without knowing it was Haiti, which of course used to be a French colony
I cannot tell you how much I enjoy seeing you've posted a video - all of your content is 10/10.
Fully agree!
The thing I think you missed right from the start was the style of the man’s hat. In the 1920s that hat was not likely to have been worn in Europe. I’d have ignored Europe and started with the Middle East, Africa and West Indies. Just because of the hat. But I’m more knowledgeable about clothing styles and dress codes of the past than on geography.
I used to work with a woman who dressed as if it were the late 40s and early 50s every day. Some people dress out of sync with the world around them, so while it likely is true, it's not certain.
If you're Swedish, Spain would probably count as exotic enough to wear an explorer's hat during your holidays. 🌴😉🌴
@@RFC3514 You are correct (maybe less exotic these days, but it used to be). There is a comedy film about Swedish tourists going to exotic Spain called Sällskapsresan (1980).
Not certain, but people were also much more conforming at that time. @@mytube001
@@mytube001it's all about probability, though. What you're seeing is usually going to be closer to the norm than the exception
You gave this guy and his family a pretty incredible gift. Well done.
I love this series thanks for continuing it!
That random "Chocolate Hole" cracked me up😂
Haiti in 1921 must have been quite an adventure, just getting there. From far across the globe nontheless.
It definitely took longer but at least Haiti was probably much safer back then than it is today.
@@Hhutuberdefinitely safer
12:20
you found the Kindlifresserbrunnen (kids eating fountain) here in Berne, Switzerland! Nice one. 😊
Wow. Wow. Wow. This is undoubtedly one of the best videos you have ever made, on par with all your straight-line missions, and it's a shame how few views this has gotten.
SPOILERS BELOW:
The final realisation of where the location is was absolutely brutal and pretty bone-chilling to be honest. I don't think there could have been a single place on earth that would have had more of a punch in the face impact than realising Haiti is the first picture.
It's absolutely wild how much Haiti gets forgotten about (by me as well, I'm no better) by being an extremely poor and unlucky country in a region that is relatively full of wealth in comparison to where the majority of the poorest countries are located on earth.
This video will stick in my mind for many months. Thank you Tom for your perseverance you legend.
20:18. "A few days later" when the date shows 2 months has past haha. Fantastic job!!
Excellent perseverance! The pith helmet says that it had to be somewhere tropical. Gentlemen of a certain social class wouldn't have worn them in warm European places.
How sad to think that most of the things in the photos are now damaged or destroyed 😢
The helmet was an obvious telltale. I'm actually disappointed Tom didn't take it into a consideration in the first place. I presume wearing that somewhere in Europe would look a bit comical, even in 1920es.
My exact idea as well. I wrote a similar comment.
The Great Aunt's painting was of Pont Neuf, Paris. Very accurate representation. Just so you can eventually update your spreadsheet to within a few miles!
You getting angry when Google was being no help at all, was quite cathartic. After wanting to throw my laptop out of the window when asking a similar question of what a thing was and constantly getting results that weren't correct to the point you are wondering is Google taking the pi ss out of you.
I love the random things you found along the way.
You know you're in deep when your best clue is that one of the few landmarks are most likely no longer standing.
That's actually insane dedication and an insane find, hats off to you Tom
It requires time
That feeling of excitement in the exact moment where things start to click! Congrats Tom, love the series
It was like a scene from a detective movie
Definitely not expecting Haiti. Definitely the toughest one yet especially with pretty much all the major clue buildings already destroyed by natural disasters. Your perseverance proves itself once again Tom
That was incredibly impressive, especially due to the changes, well done!!!
As someone from Bern, it was so funny to see you discover our famous "chindlifresserbrunnen" (child eater fountain) 🤣🤣🤣
Yet again another fun to watch video. Keep it up 🕵️🌍
Wow cheers Chris 😊
Nice jesture wealthy Chris
Excellent solve! Could the "child holding a bell" be Jean-Jacques Dessalines, emperor of Haiti between 1804 and 1806? In an old statue of him, he seems to be holding the same pose.
Yeah, just made a similar comment, didn't see yours. The plinth looks the same and the raised hand too. The other hand, however, does not. Still, I do think it is the one.
Pretty sure it's the old 'Statue to Dessalines on the Champ de Mars, Port-au-Prince' (the image at NYPL Digital Collections looks extremely similar) - the Champ de Mars is right across from the national palace, so it should fit. The statue looks to be holding something different, but the pose, the base and the location all match. A different page says the statue was later moved to Gonaives, a different location in Haiti.
A guy from Haiti said in the comments that it's a statue of Toussaint L'Ouverture
@@michaelwisniewski6047 Dunno, but I can't find an image that's convincing enough. Not one with a remotely similar plinth, for example. The Desalines statue, on the other hand, has the exact same plinth...
The caption says "This statue, which is of hollow metal with a flag of painted tin, is an ugly object, and ought to be removed." which is a pretty funny commentary.
This one is almost philosophical, you know. Makes you realize fading away is unavoidable
I was really gutted to hear about the earthquake destroyed so much! I remembered it but somehow seeing this picture and the beautiful palace and cathedral destroyed, made it more real. I wonder what would the Swedish old chap think if he knew, 100 years later than him, the palace would go down along with many many lives.
Why don't you use reverse image search after finding the place to check if it would have helped at all?
I feel like most people don't know the extreme destruction the 2010 earthquake caused in Haiti.
He was sitting on a curved sea wall. The bastion island is the only place that could have been, you could have gotten a lot closer with that final pin.
One of the best geo detective videos so far! What a sombre ending though, guess it shows how ignorant we can be in the developed world the fact that no one would even consider that it could be such a place and to see how the buildings got destroyed made me feel real sad.
I love how you use the layout of the hills and mountains to affirm your decision. Great job and looking forward to more of these!
I saw the palace at the start and thought "Huh, that looks like the Haitian Presidential Palace" then forgot about it until you realised.
I was really interested in that earthquake as a kid.
Also, I kinda thought it looked super colonial. Straight streets, all so gathered around the port.
Really sad that Haiti turned out the poorest country in the Americas. It was the first country in the continent to abolish slavery, became independent early in the 19th century. But in the 20th century suffered in the hands of cruel dictatorships and civil wars that left the country in total disarray. The natural disasters only compounded the damage.
plus constant infiltration and wrongdoing at the hands of western intelligence
There seem to be 2 tall radio masts in the distance in photo #1 (just above the guy's topi pith helmet). if that is in Haiti, then the Radio Haiti transmitter (HKK Port-au-Prince) didn't start up until 1935 according to Wikipedia. Fascinating search !
I was surprised he didn't (at least in the vid) look into what those would be
They're more likely to be for long-range communication, not broadcast radio. Which would make sense for the 1920s. Perhaps the radio towers were reused for broadcast radio from 1935?
They look like a pair of tall guyed steel-lattice monopole antennae of a type used for medium wave transmission from the 1930s - a bit like the pair of 700’ Droitwich transmitter towers in UK that were built in 1934. Only one of the towers is a transmitter, the other is a passive reflector apparently.
You are probably right in saying that they were most likely first used for long range radio-telegraphy, as I don’t think Haiti had an undersea cable link at that time.
ngl when i saw the white buliding in the second pic my mind went straight to the presidential palace in Haiti
What a find! And what a way to continue the series.
I always try to play along with these and find them myself. I spent most of my time on the Croatian coastline and found a few very close matches. One of my first instincts was Havana/Port au Prince but after investigating, I was certain that it couldn't be right with the modern positioning of the ports and the buildings. Eventually, after around an hour, I gave up and let you do the work for me haha. Good find!
Finally, through your many mentions that the toughest geodetective round is being attempted by you, was waiting for this for a long time ❤
What an entertaining search this was! I tried to identify the statue in front of the palace further. There is a depiction of Jean Jacques Dessalines, the first Haitian Emperor, wearing a bicorn hat, holding a raised sword in one hand and a detached head in the other (the "lantern"), which looks a lot like it.
I was quite certain that even a Swedish guy from the 1920s wouldn’t wear what looks like some kind of pith helmet in Spain or Italy or a similar place. But I have to admit my confidence imploded when you came up with the Spanish Civil War theory near the end of the video...
30 minute video just flew by. Great job! The moment you checked the mountains and I could tell right away they were going to match was beautiful.
For some reason 'Europe' didn't match with that Tropical Helmet the person was wearing. I just could not imagine anyone walking around in Europe in this kind of helmet, but who knows what the fashion statements were in 1920. My first thoughts were India and I did a little search for more Tropical places (Guadalcanal, Tonga, ...).
Well done! Very well done!!
This is the only series on YT that I never let myself miss an episode. Well, this and the straight line missions. Thanks for all the great videos, Tom, and well done!
Do you still watch?
I gave this one a try before watching the rest of the video and it was gratifying to see you go down the same routes I did with the “statue of girl holding bell” (which I believe was a statue of Jean-Jacques Dessalines) and trying to nail down the architectural language for the pavilion or cloister vault dome. I’m nowhere near as tenacious as you, but seeing those mountains in Google Earth was a definite vicarious thrill. Amazing work!
If the honeymoon you quietly referred to at 20:40 was your own, then you must post photos of it on your channel and make us all guess where it was.
I always dodged these videos because I love watching the straight line mission vids and couldn't get into these.. But I was WRONG!!.. these are amazing Tom!! Finding people's locations from years and years ago without the Google search is just incredible mate!! Must admit I'm pretty much hooked on these now!! 😅
I thought I would have a 'play along' crack at this one once you had shown the pictures at the start and went right down the rabbit hole of it being Bombay / Mumbai and even had some ship names for what the wreck might have been. I was looking in the direction of 'Back Bay' Mumbai. I was wrong...but I was glad that you did mention the cathedral in Mumbai along the way as being a contender during your search :-) The pith helmet and tropical vibe sent me down the India route. Whew!...what an epic search that one was for you.
Every time I see this series, I think of the photo I got in a box lot decades ago of some naked sailors standing on some naval ship smiling at the camera, during what may be WWI. My amusing photo wouldn't be at all useful for Tom to try to guess the location (since it's on a ship in the middle of some ocean), but the image is such a mystery to me, and I'd love to get more of a story about who they are and what sort of mission they were on.
Been waiting for another episode of geo detective.
Love this concept!
Tom, this is my favorite series by far. I'm honestly not quite sure why, but please keep these coming, they're so god damn gooooood
That was an incredible watch. I love the older photos. Amazing work!!
I loove this series so much! I need more of these!!
The statue of a "child holding a bell" is, I believe, a statue of Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
It was so big on the news, that there was this huge earthquake in Haiti, that people were suffering. But seeing how such a beautiful country was so horribly destroyed just kind of makes me feel even sadder for the country than already... I think this was a beautiful video to show how places might feel completely different now compared to the past. Irak or Iran might be interesting as well
knew that white building in photo 2 immediately. told my bf. he wasn't impressed.
wirdly enough, girl holding a bell is actually - Monument De Jean Jacques Dessalines but probably it no longer exist. there is one of him on a hourse, but this one can be only found on some old historical photos.
In the second photo he is stood next to the rail tracks that must have led to the stone sheds.
If there's like an online class for classic architecture styles it'd help towards finding the "right" terms to ballpark stuff like the "square dome" roof. That or getting in touch with a historical architecture buff? Enjoyed this video
you put an incredible effort to find the exact location(s)! You did a great job! I personally thought the second photo was shot somewhere in India.
Your channel in its various forms is a testament to perseverance and determination. I wouldn't have known where to start. I thought the first image might be Iceland, which is a world apart from Haiti.
It looked like Reykjavík to me too (I visited this summer) but I didn’t think anyone would be wearing a pith helmet and tropical suit in Iceland!
I'm from Iceland. The steeple and the arches are not very likely in 1920s Iceland. But I see what you mean. Not a bad idea at all.
I love these videos. One suggestion to make them even better: Put a link into the description that leads to a high resultion version of the image. I always want a closer look at parts of the images, which you are ignoring, and it drives me crazy 🙂
Tom, my and my Mrs love your videos and your hilarious British humour. Keep doing what you're doing and never change.
Also I used to live in the Orion Building, the flat building you and Ben infiltrated in your Birmingham no roads mission! Trippy as balls to see you come out the car park I used to drive out of...
Thanks so much mate! That’s crazy 😝
That horizon line at 22:05 was pretty much spot on, and with that little "bump" just right of the big mountain that you didn't get in Haiti
"BELLEND"!!!! Im so glad i learned that word!!!!😂
BTW I know this video is a bit old but for the next time... this kind of church tower is typical of colonial baroque buildings, specially on smaller churches (on bigger churches the steps still exist but they tend to be profusely decorated). Haven't checked when it was built but I would say it probably was around 17th century. Ciudad de Mexico, minas gerais or zacatecas Cathedral towers are in this style. Baroque churches tend to look plainer on the exterior.
13:20 "Where's the key?!" This is my life in a nutshell. I've never identified with a video so much in my life.
your little girl holding a bell was actually a statue of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, wearing a cocked hat (go check in google images) 😅
Well done. That was very impressive, your tenacity and keen eye got you to the spot again.
Congratulations on your marriage Tom just noticed that. Your videos make my day and I watch one every night even if I have to rewatch some. I’m not sure what it is but all your videos make me so happy and I can tell your such a genuine and great person and you have helped me through some rough times. God bless you
I also just got my first ever geoguesser subscription. I’ve wanted to try it for a long time now but I’m still in school and the extra money is tough but I bought a month worth and have played it everyday!!
A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value.
That was super hard and I didn't find it anticlimactic at all. Haiti of all places! What a find and what a cool place for a Swede to visit back then. That was a looooong boat ride!
this is the series that got me into this channel, you never disappoint tom
Glad this is back! Topaz Photo AI may be of some use for this.
Me as Geodetective: "hmm, ya see this water here? It sort of seems like...the water..... is all over. Hmmm......And if you look....is that? Is that some boats in the background?...YEP! YEP! Got it!...Yep, this is definitely the ocean. Boom. Fantastic.
*EXCEPTIONAL!! Please, more videos like this Tom. :)*
Congratulations ! Great perseverance on this one . Gotta say the fact that the man was wearing a pith helmet immediately ruled out most (but not all) of the Mediterranean for me . I was leaning towards thinking of somewhere quite tropical, like the Hawaiian islands or Malaysia.
Great job
This series is a testament to the ongoing enshittification of Google Search.
It'd be funny if you could have a "joker" like in Who wants to be a millionaire, to call up a friend/person who knows about architecture or fashion to point you in the direction you need. I am very impressed that you got it in the end and even though it looks so different today.
It’s crazy how varied your content is… but each video you post hits the mark! I look forward to your next video and holding out for your next mega adventure!
I feel like I would have been stuck at trying to find the ship, not that there was any shortage of wrecked boats in the aftermath of WW1. Though as a different angle, I wonder if it could have helped to narrow things down by seeing which countries accepted a Swedish passport/visa in the '20s
If I had to describe this video to a curious onlooker, I might say, “watch this guy incorrectly google stuff for several hours”. But it was spellbinding and I loved it. Good stuff Tom.
4:20 you forgot to sensor this one hahaha don’t know if it was on purpose but this is hilarious
One for the books! Great detective work Tom
Such grit, Tom. Great work. The modern shantytown slums are a hard reminder of how damn lucky most of us are.
Its mindblowing how you can find these places with such little information. I do not understand how you have so much paitience. I really enjoy watching your process, its inspiring. Cant wait for the next video in this series, man.
Looks exactly like the Jean-Jacques Dessalines statue on the Champs De Mars in Haiti which is meters away from the Presidential Palace. Photos of the statue in 1908 match the one in the second photo near identically. It looks like the area has changed from then but this must be it. Great dedication, wow.
Your pain in this video was quite enjoyable. Thanks Tom!
I wish we had an answer on the statue.
My theory was because it looked feminine I assumed the item it held was a basket.
Although in a photo from a great distance from the 20s; it's pretty hard to say for certain
I was trying to focus on the two radio towers in the photo. I didn't get it before you but after you got Port Au Prince I was able to find an old photo of including the the two towers in the background. Very interesting.