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Pete Biro professional color slides of Playland


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#1 917-30

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Posted 11 February 2020 - 04:54 PM

After seeing Mike Swiss's recent THREAD, which resurrected the subject of Playland, I (probably like most here) Googled Playland San Francisco, viewed pics and a couple videos about Playland (and its demolition in 1972). In the search, an image of a color postcard came up, Playland Model Car Raceways, showing the same overhead view along with one from another angle (looks like there was an overhead walkway), as well as a shot of the front of the building (which has 'Model Car Raceways' in big letters spanning the front) with a parking area full of '50s-'60s automobiles.

I believe that the photos of the actual Playland raceway (the overhead views and outdoor shot) were taken by the famous racing photographer of the '60s-'80s, the late Pete Biro (who passed away in 2019). I say this because, before he passed away, Biro was auctioning off hundreds of his original slides on eBay, along with digital copies of some of them on CDs. Most were from Can-Am and F1 races from that period, with some Indy and NASCAR, as Biro was contracted by Goodyear for 30 years (as well as shooting and writing for Car & Driver, Road & Track, and Sports Illustrated). I bid on many of his photos, won a few, and copied more from his auction postings.

One group really caught my attention - four slides, all color, of the Playland raceway including the Purple Mile. These were unusual for Biro, as they were done in the larger medium-format, 2" x 2" size rather than 35mm. I was outbid on all four, but copied them. I'm speculating that these slides were taken early in Biro's career, as a commercial shoot for Playland or their advertising agency, or perhaps for AMCR, as the overhead shot of the Sovereign track is also used in at least one AMCR print ad in the magazine.
 
Here's three of them:
 
post-173-0-46835400-1581390605.jpg
 
post-173-0-28306900-1581390045.jpg
 
post-173-0-65613000-1581389721.jpg


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George Foster
 
Dabbling in Group 7 '68-'72. Amazed and grateful that commercial slots still exist!
 
Big fan of 1/1 IMSA sports car racing, especially the endurance classics.
 
Home track: Fantasy Raceways, Rochester, NY
 
RIP, Bob Emott and Tony P.





#2 MattD

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Posted 11 February 2020 - 10:09 PM

Good to have a thread on this raceway. Here is the link to the history of Playland. More pictures and some history of the whole park.
 
Playland at the Beach
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#3 MSwiss

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Posted 11 February 2020 - 10:41 PM

Matt,

Thanks for posting that link again in this thread.
 
The one clear pic of the Sovereign (with the boat models in the background, to confirm the pic was taken at Playland) where all the "blues" don't jump out of the pic, it shows the track was the hard to photograph, violet.
 
Unless they did the unlikely thing of painting over the Formica, which was then later cleaned off completely.

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#4 Martin

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Posted 12 February 2020 - 11:47 AM

I did a lot of slide photography back in the day. I remember Kodachrome leaned red (warm) and Ectachrome blue (cold).

Fuji was also very blue. Agfa was the most true, but grainy.

Be interested to know what film it was shot with.  

There is a pic in the Playland link that shows the purple/violet color IMO.
Martin Windmill

#5 MSwiss

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Posted 12 February 2020 - 12:00 PM

The one clear pic of the Sovereign, (with the boat models in the background, to confirm the pic was taken at Playland) where all the "blues" don't jump out of the pic, it shows the track was the hard to photograph, Violet.
 
Unless they did the unlikely thing of painting over the Formica, which was then, later cleaned off, completely.

There is a pic in the Playland link that shows the Purple/ Violet color IMO.


Yes, this one. (Just taken now, with my phone off my PC screen, after wasting my time last night trying to import it.)

pm.jpg


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Mike Swiss
 
Inventor of the Low CG guide flag 4/20/18
IRRA® Components Committee Chairman
Five-time USRA National Champion (two G7, one G27, two G7 Senior)
Two-time G7 World Champion (1988, 1990), eight G7 main appearances
Eight-time G7 King track single lap world record holder

17B West Ogden Ave., Westmont, IL 60559, (708) 203-8003, mikeswiss86@hotmail.com (also my PayPal address)

Note: Send all USPS packages and mail to: 692 Citadel Drive, Westmont, Illinois 60559


#6 Martin

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Posted 12 February 2020 - 12:20 PM

Did the same thing. It is well protected.

 

It is interesting it shows wooden chairs not the bar stools. So I would think this is an earlier pic.


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#7 Cheater

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Posted 12 February 2020 - 12:24 PM

That same Purple Mile image can be found in many other places on the web. Here's the largest version I was able to locate.

 

pm2.jpg


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Never forget that first place goes to the racer with the MOST laps, not the racer with the FASTEST lap


#8 bbr

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Posted 12 February 2020 - 06:42 PM

Use the "print screen" to capture the image on your monitor and paste it into "Word" or "Paint."


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#9 Cheater

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Posted 13 February 2020 - 06:22 AM

Mike's advice is for a PC.

 

In Macs save a screenshot using shift-command-3 or, if you want to select the area of the screen being saved, use shift-command-4.


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Gregory Wells

Never forget that first place goes to the racer with the MOST laps, not the racer with the FASTEST lap


#10 slotcarone

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Posted 13 February 2020 - 07:01 AM

The pic where the track looks purple also does not have the tracks inside the banking on the red and purple. Like was said must be early shot.


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#11 tonyp

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Posted 13 February 2020 - 07:18 AM

I agree, early picture, no cigarette burns or greasy hand prints on the carpet..

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#12 MattD

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Posted 13 February 2020 - 01:31 PM

Notice the later pictures show a couple black floor runners at the main entrance.    


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