AA-2026-D527FD
On the image
The camera captured this scene through a fisheye lens, which in the 1970s was a novel way to make even a simple two-story building over water look profoundly more interesting, or at least distorted. This was a common photographic technique for those who wished to elevate their vacation snapshots from mere documentation to something resembling art.
The building itself, with its red siding and open upper deck, suggests a boathouse or a private viewing platform, sitting firmly amidst a carpet of lily pads. It exists as a testament to the era's belief that building directly into a body of water, however still, was the height of desirable leisure architecture, especially when framed by tall, spindly palm trees.
The overall effect is one of a controlled natural environment, designed for contemplation or perhaps just for looking out at more lily pads. The distinct circular frame is a powerful indicator that someone thought this particular view of engineered tranquility deserved special photographic treatment, forever marking it as a product of its decade.
The historian's note
This image depicts a two-story wooden structure, likely a boathouse, fishing shack, or observation deck, built directly over a body of water densely populated with lily pads. The presence of tall palm trees suggests a tropical or subtropical location. The photograph is notable for its use of a fisheye lens, a popular photographic accessory and stylistic choice during the 1970s. This lens type creates a wide panoramic or hemispherical image, characterized by strong visual distortion and a circular framing, which was frequently employed to add a modern or avant-garde aesthetic to general photography, including travel and architectural subjects.
The structure's design, with its simple wood siding and elevated deck, is consistent with recreational or utilitarian waterfront architecture of the mid-20th century. Such buildings were often integrated into natural landscapes, reflecting contemporary trends in leisure and property development that sought to blend structures with their aquatic surroundings.
Subjects & keywords — each links to a search
Visually related — by likeness
Tropical Waterside Building, Fisheye View, 1970s. 1970–1979. Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library, AA-2026-D527FD. https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/tropical-waterside-building-fisheye-view-1970s.
@misc{aaAA2026D527FD,
title = {Tropical Waterside Building, Fisheye View, 1970s},
year = {1970–1979},
howpublished = {Archive \& Atlas, Historical Image Library},
note = {Accession AA-2026-D527FD},
url = {https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/tropical-waterside-building-fisheye-view-1970s}
}TY - ART TI - Tropical Waterside Building, Fisheye View, 1970s PY - 1970–1979 PB - Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library AN - AA-2026-D527FD UR - https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/tropical-waterside-building-fisheye-view-1970s ER -
From the community
Identifications, corrections, and discussion from readers — reviewed by a librarian before appearing here.
Sign in to add an identification, correction, or comment.
No notes yet — be the first to add what you know about this image.