Indianapolis Auto Parade - 1907

This amazing image was derived from a photograph originally published in the March 19, 1907 Indianapolis News. The paper was reporting on the previous day's downtown automobile parade. The event was to promote the spring buying season for consumers interested in purchasing new automobiles. Indianapolis was a hub of the American automobile industry at the time and local dealerships and garages had clustered around a few blocks including the famous Massachusetts Avenue - now a cultural area. This segment of the city became known as "automobile row."
 
The cars - reportedly totaling 200 in number, the largest gathering of automobiles in the Hoosier capital up to that time - are seen departing Monument Circle to begin their circuit through the wondrous city. Please invest time with this image and examine it carefully. Click thru the attachment and magnify it. Note that the ghostly form dominating the upper right corner is the incredibly beautiful Soldiers & Sailors Monument. If examined thoroughly - as it should be - you will see the darker blotch is the outline of a statue. I am now inspired to look for this structure, which appears to be a soldier on a horse, upon my next visit to this marvelous work of art.
 
The photograph ran in support of articles reporting on the event. These articles provide wonderful information about the players of the day - be sure to click thru.