Another example of the Internet Community in action

While this is not even close to the scope of the CBS story, this one's been going on quite a bit longer. A group of collectors over on the alt.binaries.pictures.eroctica.vintage newsgroup have been having a grand ol' time for several years, trading old postcards and scanning girlie magazines from way back when. I visit occasionally, and contribute once in a blue moon, and you've seen some of their work here on Rocket Jones in various pinups and book covers. There's some real historical knowledge there, as well as a few inevitable trolls and nitwits.

So anyways, a while back someone got curious about a specific series of photographs taken at a location that's come to be known as the "spider pool". There's a picture (safe for work) in the extended entry, along with the rest of the story.

What you see here is the best known picture that gives the spider pool it's name. The one here is reduced in size by 2/3 for the bandwidth impaired, if you're so inclined I'll tell you where to get the original in a moment.

There are a lot of pictures, and a lot of versions of the same pictures on the net, that were taken around the Spider Pool. At least one of the models has been identified, and various clues such as hair style and such give a time frame of late 40's to mid 50's.

The group got to wondering, just where exactly was the Spider Pool located?

Some educated guesses were made (like I said, there's serious knowledge among these folks), and as the group batted around ideas and dissected clues in the photographs like the topography in the background, a general consensus was reached about the vicinity of the Spider Pool. Someone got hold of a topographic map, and eventually a road that seemed to fit the evidence was tracked down. Unfortunately, that lead didn't pan out - it's not disproved, just 'not likely' at this time. So the search continues. It's very possible that the Spider Pool doesn't even exist any more.

This kind of historical sleuthing fascinates me. I'm not involved at all other than as a spectator (and this post now), but I'm enjoying the discussion and discovery process as it goes on. Various leads are being followed besides the terrain and neighborhood clues, including a search for the models themselves or possibly someone who remembers the actual place. The title of the picture above suggests that it may have originally come from a magazine called Exotique.

And now, thanks to a nice lady named debi, there's a blog dedicated to the mystery of the Spider Pool and the search for it. Check it out, but be aware that a lot of the photos there contain nudity.

Any Southern Californians out there wanna take a swing at identifying the locale?

Posted by Ted at September 23, 2004 05:24 AM
Category: History Links