I HAVE BEEN MULLING OVER reviving my blog posts lately, but this idea was so spectacular that it rose to the top instantly.
I was trawling eBay for vintage photographs when I came across this item depicting the automobile Mexican president Obregon was riding in when an assassination attempt was made on him. It includes a partial of the license plate, a Distrito Federal plate from 1927. I was commenting to Kiki on how frustrating it was the entire plate wasn't in the photo.
Kiki's reply was that I should open a museum with replicas of famous license plates -- a "Wax Plate Museum." I could include plates from famous vehicle accidents, like James Dean's or, she added waggishly, Abraham Lincoln. I mentioned Isadora Duncan and lamented that it might be difficult to find out what the plate number was on her car. Kiki said, "Hey, they're already reproductions." Once you start thinking about this -- Albert Camus and Jayne Mansfield and Harry Chapin and Princess Grace and either of the Allman Brothers come to mind -- the possibilities seem endless.
As it happens, replica plates of the Porsche Spyder Dean was driving pop up constantly on eBay (see above). As far as I know it's the only one of its kind, so there's plenty of opportunity out there.
The number looks so good. I love the ways the Zs and 7s are shaped next to each other.
Posted by: Sherman Clarke | January 31, 2009 at 08:40 PM