The Smiley Smile Message Board

Revisiting a thread from 2013: http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,15065.0.html

In which I mentioned an investigative piece I wrote about the photos that were featured on the European repackage of Today! and Sea of Tunes' Unsurpassed Masters, Vol. 19:

https://bonnevillemariner.wordpress.com/2012/06/14/the-story-behind-those-beach-boys-photos-at-saltair/

(https://bonnevillemariner.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/beachboyspillars1.jpg?w=645)

(https://bonnevillemariner.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/beachboystruckride1.jpg?w=645)

(https://bonnevillemariner.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/um19-21.jpg)

The water in the Great Salt Lake receded enough this year for me to make the ~2 mile trek out to the old Saltair site without sinking in quicksand.  Here are a few photos from last week:

(https://bonnevillemariner.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/img_9785.jpg)
(https://bonnevillemariner.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/img_9786.jpg)
(https://bonnevillemariner.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/img_9783.jpg)

The abandoned pavilion pictured in the 1968 photos was destroyed by fire in 1970.  As you can see, there's not much left of the place today aside from the salt swamps and those salt-crusted pile-ons.  Given their inaccessibility (the remote site is accessible only on foot and is often underwater), these have remained virtually unchanged.  I love this place because it's one of the only (if not only) site featured in published Beach Boys media that looks just like it did the day the photo was taken.  That piece of wood they're sitting on in the album art?  Still there, just underwater.  The wooden beam they were using to wedge out Hesterman's Cruiser?  Still there too.

Anyway, my purpose in bringing this back up here is to crowdsource a bit.  The photos were taken by photographer Cyril Maitland, whom I'd love to reach for an interview.  I've tried the normal channels (email, social media).  No dice.  Can anybody here hook me up?

Also, if anybody here can alert me to any needed corrections in my story (linked above), or enlighten me further to other facts surrounding that particular trip to Salt Lake City, I'd sure appreciate it!

Drive up to Ashland OR this weekend  and catch him at the opening weekend of the Lithia Artisans market. 

Try him on Facebook

I wish!

I have.  No response yep and I don't want to overstep.

Great stuff

bonnevillemariner, where exactly was the old Saltaire located? I tried looking it up on Google maps and could only find the newer venue. Thanks.

It's just northeast of the current location.  The pile-ons are technically offshore, so getting to them is often tricky.  It doesn't surprise me that they got stuck out there.

(https://bonnevillemariner.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/saltair-location.png)

Thank you bonnevillemariner!

I really like the pictures the boys took there. They should've shot an album cover there imo.

Great pictures and interesting history. Thanks bonnevillemariner  8)

This is super cool. Somebody should start a thread about obscure Beach Boys locations with before/after photos. I remember seeing someone post before/after pics of a unique-looking apartment complex from the Good Vibrations promo film. That was super.

Believe that was guitarfool

Is this the same place where they shot the movie "Carnival of Souls"? If so...extra cool!

in a way they did....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Record-Album-Beach-Boys-California-Girls-Re-issue-/161642454417?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item25a2a41d91

Isn't that the place heavily featured in the movie CARNIVAL OF SOULS?

Yep.  Check this out (starting at about 1:55):

https://youtu.be/AIr-Sgy2aNE

Spooky place!

Yes, but this of course is not more than an amateur shot. With that location they really could've done a fantastic album cover. They just needed some pro-photographer. Could've worked for 20/20

I believe the photographer, Maitland, was indeed a pro at the time.  What I'm still not clear on is the purpose of that shoot.  According to interviews I've done with the Hesterman family, the initial trip out to Saltair was ad hoc with only Al present.  That night it was decided that they would all go back out.  So the furthest in advance this second trip could have been planned was the night prior.  Which brings us to Maitland.  Why was he with them?  Perhaps he was in town to shoot the concert and they invited him to Saltair the next day for some impromptu photography?  That's one question I'd like to ask the man.  I'd also love to get in touch with Al, but that may be a pipe dream.

Ok, then I am more catious. I didn't want to talk Maitland down. I should've said that they needed a concept for a cover. certainly Maitland was capable of shooting it then.

I made mention in the old thread about a posed shot of the group holding cans of 'Coke' at that location. The band have also mentioned they did song for a coke commercial based on 'Cool Cool Water'. I still wonder if there was any connection. As the campaign with the Beach Boys song never went ahead any reason for a group shot was lost.

Just throwing an idea out there.

Edit

The picture I mention is not one of the above. Page 46 of the Tobler book has it.

I recall that post and have wondered about it. Just one more facet of that trip that I'd love to clear up. Seems like every time I delve into it I come away with more questions than answers!

Hey guys, I decided to finally burn a CD of the Wild Honey album plus extra tracks like stereo remixes, live performances etc. Now, I want to use some of the pictures that are talked about in this thread. Has anyone have bigger versions of them and could post them? I especially want to use the one where the Boys are standing on the  pyleons posted by bonnevillemariner