Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield, Mass.

Title

South end of Lake Quannapowitt, August 1948

Description

"This photo was probably taken when a Tydol dirigible, formerly used by the US Navy, flew over the area in August 1948. The blimp was east of Wakefield when the pilot changed his course to the northwest to fly over the north ward and the head of the lake, along its shoreline and over the common where it circled back and left the area. The blimp was in the area for three weeks and was operated by the Tide Water Associated Oil Company to advertise 'Flying A Gasoline' with its slogan 'A Whale of a Deal.' The 254' blimp featured a 200' animated whale on one side that was made up of 4,500 light bulbs. The whale 'swam' in an ocean of 2,000 light bulbs, flapped its tail and spouted water. There were a total of 11,500 lights attached to both sides of the blimp. During the day, the blimp's advertisement featured painted signs that measured 37' high by 178' long. Prominently featured in the forefront of the photo is Hills Boathouse, which was razed in 1964 part of the former Morrill-Atwood Ice Company (then the Metropolitan Ice Company), razed in 1960 and the bathhouse, built in 1940 and moved to the Forest Glade Cemetery in 1994." - Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Donofrio.

Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 2010

Photo courtesy of the Wakefield Historical Society.

Contributor

Institution: Lucius Beebe Memorial Library

Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department (Wakefield, Mass.)

D'Onofrio, Jayne M.

Coverage

Massachusetts--Middlesex (county)--Wakefield

Wakefield Common (Wakefield, Mass.)

Date

08-1948

Format

image/jpeg

Publisher

[Wakefield, Mass.] : Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department

Type

still image

Photographs

Aerial photographs

Original Format

1 picture : b&w

Extent

22 x 33 cm.