The Girl in the Yellow Shorts

[Billylee]

Come to think of it, her statuesque pose is more looking upward into the sky (daytime, eyes shaded) than like out to sea. Hmmm?

 

[RubyRed]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/gal...tos_taken_by_serial_killer_rodney_alcala.html

 

[carbuff]

Another potential location for these photos: the St-Gaudens estate in New Hampshire, which is a national historical site just down the road from Lake Sunapee where Alcala lived circa 1969. Augustus Saint-Gaudens was one of the top sculptors of the late 1800's; this place was his home and studio. The grounds and home have many original and reproductions of his work.

Here's a photo of one of the statues on the grounds:

http://www.nps.gov/ner/customcf/apps/pgallery/photo.cfm?pid=5076&aid=433&gid=433

I couldn't find any photos of statues in the exact poses this woman is in, but she might have been inventing them for herself. As with the girl in the blue striped shorts, she seems to be clowning around a lot.

 

[punklove]

Another potential location for these photos: the St-Gaudens estate in New Hampshire, which is a national historical site just down the road from Lake Sunapee where Alcala lived circa 1969. Augustus Saint-Gaudens was one of the top sculptors of the late 1800's; this place was his home and studio. The grounds and home have many original and reproductions of his work.

Here's a photo of one of the statues on the grounds:

http://www.nps.gov/ner/customcf/apps/pgallery/photo.cfm?pid=5076&aid=433&gid=433

Thats so odd, I was looking at the photos side by side that looked like they were in the same area:

I wondered about the trees - it looked like it could be fall in one photo and summer in the other (the colors of the trees), I just didnt think the grass looked very fall like in the one where the trees have fall colors.. but if you look at the link above you can see that both colors of trees are there.

 

[carbuff]

Thats so odd, I was looking at the photos side by side that looked like they were in the same area:

I wondered about the trees - it looked like it could be fall in one photo and summer in the other (the colors of the trees), I just didnt think the grass looked very fall like in the one where the trees have fall colors.. but if you look at the link above you can see that both colors of trees are there.

Good catch. It's almost certainly the same place.

The grass usually stays bright green in New England until late fall brings several hard freezes. Often until after the first snow. So it's not a good indication of season. Trees change at different times, as well. Those look like some kind of decorative tree, Japanese maples perhaps, that usually change early, so I'd guess early fall.

From George's Mills where he was living in NH to the Saint-Gaudens historic site is only about 30 miles. Probably 45 minutes to an hour driving time, depending on the route he took. About 10 miles south of Lebanon, which is the closest large town, and about 20 south of Dartmouth, the nearest university.

Hm, wonder if I have time to get up there on my next free day...

 

[Billylee]

Okay, could it be this easy, Alcala went to school at UCLA, and there is a statuary garden there, where did he go to school in NY is there a statuary garden there too? I've yet to find a statue in the image this girl is imitating, but I haven't given up yet. And what are those white things on the right behind her, someone said gravestones, but I don't think so. Also on the left of the picture back behind her it looks like there is either a gazebo or a Japanese type tea garden structure.

 

[Billylee]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3061/2913282030_cee9e1d353.jpg

The above is still the closest statue I've found resembling her pose. Unfortunately, it's just on someone's flickr page and doesn't say anything about it. It's obviously a replica of a bigger statue somewhere else. Does anyone have a clue about this statue, or any history buff recognize the attire on him? That might help us find the location of the original.

 

[carbuff]

Okay, could it be this easy, Alcala went to school at UCLA, and there is a statuary garden there, where did he go to school in NY is there a statuary garden there too? I've yet to find a statue in the image this girl is imitating, but I haven't given up yet. And what are those white things on the right behind her, someone said gravestones, but I don't think so. Also on the left of the picture back behind her it looks like there is either a gazebo or a Japanese type tea garden structure.

Good thought. His fondness for posing his victims might well carry over from a fondness for posing his photography subjects like statues.

There are statue gardens many places in NYC and area. The Saint-Gaudens one is the only prominent one in NH at the time Alcala was there, I think, though I'm hardly an expert. The tea garden structure is one of the ones that looks familiar from the Saint-Gaudens park, though most any historic house from the same time period would have a similar structure.

I'm thinking those white things are probably beehives. For certain kinds of flowering trees, you have a beekeeper bring in the hives for a week or two while the trees are in bloom, then two weeks later they're gone. I can't see clearly enough to identify anything, but there appear to be a number of things in bloom in the various pictures.

I've seen that statue you found -- somewhere. *pounds head*

 

[webrocket]

I don't look into this forum very much and just found this thread. The scenery looks way too green to be Southern California so I highly doubt that's where these pictures were taken. The first photo on the left at the top of the first page is highly staged, as if from a movie set. I am trying to figure out what that is in the background, and the only thing that remotely looks possible is a casino. Back in the 1970's Nevada was it for gambling, unless the picture was taken out of the country.

I guess my questions are:

1. since this was before the age of digital photography, does LE have any dates from the back of the pictures?

2. does LE have a timeline of where this Alcala guy lived over the years?

The fact someone posed for a picture does not mean they were murdered. So looking at missing persons lists trying to make a match might be futile as many of these young women might be alive and well.

Having said all that, does anyone know a missing person's list which is searchable by gender, race, age, hair color, date last known alive, etc?

 

[sophclown]

I think that the girl in the yellow shorts was an actress from New York City. Her name is Andrea Feldman. Feldman appeared in Warhol's underground movies. However, Feldman committed suicide on August 8, 1972 in New York City.

 

[Billylee]

I think that the girl in the yellow shorts was an actress from New York City. Her name is Andrea Feldman. Feldman appeared in Warhol's underground movies. However, Feldman committed suicide on August 8, 1972 in New York City.

She's similar looking, but I think Andrea's nose is quite different:

http://www.squidoo.com/AndreaFeldman

 

[Billylee]

A list of sculpture parks for the heck of it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sculpture_parks#United_States

 

[Billylee]

Eureka, I may have found it: This statue is located at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. I didn't realize there's a museum there and apparently over 1500 sculptures. (who knew?) This is on someone's flickr page, so I'm not sure what the real title of the statue is but it is her pose (correct hand and all). The rest of the statue doesn't show here, but I'll keep looking (later ....my eyeballs are popping out LOL), her second pose, where her hands are clasped to her chest, where she's sticking her tongue out, also looks similar to a statue here, that one is called Dream of Peace. I will keep looking to see if we can find anything that would confirm the place (or rule it out). Any of you southern cal folks can chime in here!


http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...N&rlz=1B3MOZA_enUS351US351&ndsp=20&tbs=isch:1


Dream of peace photo: http://sirismm.si.edu/saam/scan1/S02580014_b.jpg

 

[carbuff]

Those do look close -- but that's not SoCal vegetation.

 

[Billylee]

Those do look close -- but that's not SoCal vegetation.

Okay Carbuff, if you can specify what vegetation you are referring to in these pictures, then we can try to define them. I grew up in No.Cal. and though I can't say for sure because of lack of definition in the pictures, I don't see anything at all in particular that screams east or west coast in this pictures. The most definitive plant species in these pictures is grass.

I think we need more defined pictures of the Forest Lawn
area before definitive answers can be achieved. Also, it's very possible that the Forest Lawn statues are replicas from somewhere else, but since Alcala was living nearby, and going to school at UCLA, I think the location is very plausible. He was an "art student' supposedly studying art, so him going to this locoation to snap photos, wouldn't surprise me one bit.

Also, I don't think this is the only girl in his photos who was asked to "assume certain positions", but like I say, he was studying art and it just makes sense that he would be studying near where he took his classes.

We need definitive photos of the place to rule in or out. Care to join me in looking for them?

 

[carbuff]

I think your location is entirely possible -- especially if he was remembering statues he'd seen and asking her to assume a half-remembered pose. Those certainly are close. (And I've been looking for statues too, just haven't found anything nearly as close as yours. Right now I'm trying to track down that sailor dude in the other picture -- I'm sure there's a copy if not the original near here.)

I don't think the vegetation automatically means New England -- I'm referring to that big dark green rhododendron behind her when she's standing on the boulder, the twisty tree growing behind that, and the rather scraggly yellow or pitch pine behind her when she's sitting on the grass. Those are all common around New England and commonly found together. They might well be found other places as well.

 

[jessunlil]

She's similar looking, but I think Andrea's nose is quite different:

http://www.squidoo.com/AndreaFeldman

Andrea actually reminds me of this girl from the photos taken at the Fivespot.
http://cnnnancygrace.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/01031.jpg

 

[Cupcakeslayer]

Andrea actually reminds me of this girl from the photos taken at the Fivespot.
http://cnnnancygrace.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/01031.jpg

wow they do look close! you should post it over in the thread (unless you did and i missed it....)

 

[socalgal2]

Andrea actually reminds me of this girl from the photos taken at the Fivespot.
http://cnnnancygrace.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/01031.jpg

That was the first thought that popped into my head when I saw Andrea's pic. They look similar for sure.

 

[socalgal2]

Eureka, I may have found it: This statue is located at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. I didn't realize there's a museum there and apparently over 1500 sculptures. (who knew?) This is on someone's flickr page, so I'm not sure what the real title of the statue is but it is her pose (correct hand and all). The rest of the statue doesn't show here, but I'll keep looking (later ....my eyeballs are popping out LOL), her second pose, where her hands are clasped to her chest, where she's sticking her tongue out, also looks similar to a statue here, that one is called Dream of Peace. I will keep looking to see if we can find anything that would confirm the place (or rule it out). Any of you southern cal folks can chime in here!


http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...N&rlz=1B3MOZA_enUS351US351&ndsp=20&tbs=isch:1


Dream of peace photo: http://sirismm.si.edu/saam/scan1/S02580014_b.jpg

Here's a link to different vegetation in So Cal Parks etchttp://www.ocparks.com/regionalparks/