Bob Eckert Photography
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    • 2022 New Mexico Treasures Calendar
    • 2022 Pic of the Day
    • 2023 Pic of the Day
    • 2024 New Mexico Treasures Calendar
    • 2024 Pic of the Daly
    • Abandoned Buildings Series
    • Abiquiu Dam
    • Abiquiu Livestock Sale
    • Adjective Challenge
    • Aerial Photos
    • Agricultural Profile: Christopher Bassettt: Freshies of New Mexico Farm, Velarde, NM
    • Aircraft - BW Portraits
    • Agriculture
    • Albumen Prints
    • Albuquerque Aquarium
    • Albuquerque, New Mexico, Murals
    • Albuquerque Sunport Lowrider Show
    • Alt Fashion
    • Alt Portraits
    • Amish, Kalona, Iowa
    • Angel in Albuquerque
    • Art-o-Mat
    • Astro Zombies Murals
    • Behind the Scenes at the Circus
    • Birds
    • Black and White Photos
    • Black Mesa, San Ildefonso Pueblo
    • ​​Book Review: "Orale! Lowrider: Custom Made in New Mexico"
    • Breakdancing (b-boying or break-boying)
    • Brothers
    • Cabezon Peak
    • Calf Canyon, Hermits Peak Fire
    • Carlton, Oregon
    • Car Portraits
    • Cesar Chavez and the UFW
    • Cell Phones
    • Cerro Pedernal
    • Chama River (Rio Chama) Overlook — New Mexico
    • Chiaroscuro: Light and Dark
    • Chicano Park Murals
    • Children Portraits
    • Churches
    • Circus Behind the Scenes
    • Classical Gas Museum
    • Close Up Photos
    • Cloud Photos
    • Colors
    • Comic Con New Mexico
    • Computers
    • Concorso Santa Fe
    • Contrast
    • Crosswalk Painting
    • Cumbres Toltec
    • Day of the Dead, Albuquerque's Marigold Parade
    • Descansos
    • Design photographs in the style of Charles Sheeler
    • Detroit Street Photos
    • Dogs
    • Dragonfly Bus
    • Emma Eckert's Pendants
    • Explora Albuquerque
    • Fisheye Lens Portraits
    • Fisheye Lens Photos
    • Fisheye Lenses Discussed
    • Fog Smoke Haze in Photos
    • Gay Pride Parade
    • Ghost Ranch
    • Goggles Sunglasses and Masks
    • Goofing Around with mime Mark Wenzel
    • Gordon Tooley, Apple Guru
    • Hasselblad XPan Modification
    • Hats
    • Highway 550
    • Horizont Camera Panoramic Images
    • Humor
    • Industry
    • Indian Market Native Costumes
    • Infrared Photos
    • Infrared with a Leica M8 Camera
    • In Praise of Kit Lenses
    • In Praise of Manual Lenses
    • Insects
    • Instagram
    • International Center of Photography
    • Isabro Ortega, Truchas, NM, Woodcarver
    • Isolated Trees
    • Isolation Photos
    • Jeff Brock and Bombshell Betty
    • John Lea's Painted Truck
    • Juxtaposed
    • Kaleidoscope Photos
    • Lady of Guadalupe
    • Landscape Photos
    • License Plates
    • Light Quality
    • Lomography Spinner 360
    • Lowriders
    • Lowrider Day Espanola, NM
    • Lowrider Show 2013 Revisited
    • Lowrider Show Story August 2012
    • Lowrider Summer
    • Lowriders: Vintage San Francisco Bay Area Show
    • Luck in Photography
    • Luck in Photography vers 2.0
    • Luck in Photography vers 3.0
    • Luck in Photography vers 4.0
    • Luck (or Timing) in Photography vers 5
    • Luck in Photography vers 6.0
    • Luck in Photography vers 7.0
    • Luck in Photography vers 8.0
    • Luck in Photography vers 9.0
    • Luck in Photography vers 10
    • Luck in Photography vers 11
    • Luck in Photography vers 12
    • Luck in Photography vers 13
    • Luck in Photography vers 14
    • Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
    • Matachines de Alcalde
    • Mirror Images
    • Moody, Dark, Mysterious Photos
    • Moon Photos
    • Mountains
    • Moving Arts Espanola
    • Moving Landscapes
    • Murals in Espanola, New Mexico
    • Murals: Santa Fe, New Mexico
    • National Museum of Nuclear Science and History
    • Natural Dyeing with Glenna Dean
    • New Mexico Press Association 2022 Award Winner
    • New Mexico Press Association Award Winner
    • New Mexico Press Association 2024 Award Winner
    • New Orleans Street Photography
    • Nicholas Herrera El Rito Santero
    • NM Treasures 2023 Calendar Image
    • Northern New Mexico
    • Norteno Artist Portraits
    • Olympus Pen FT Half Frame First Photos
    • Owl Cafe, Albuquerque
    • Panoramic Mosaics
    • Panoramic Photos
    • Patterns in Photography
    • Pet Store Animal Photos
    • Photographers
    • Photographing Lowriders
    • Pic of the Day
    • Pink Cadillac
    • Plants and Flowers
    • Polaroids of Northern New Mexico
    • Portfolio of Ten
    • Portraits
    • Port of Portland
    • Portraits of Strangers
    • Published Favorites
    • Repetition in Photos
    • Resurrecting Film
    • Rio Arriba: A New Mexico County
    • Road to Pedernal
    • Rocket Heads Jewelry
    • San Francisco Chinatown
    • Santa Rosa de Lima Church Rluins
    • Scale in Photography
    • San Francisco Street Photos
    • Service People Portraits
    • Sequential Series Photos
    • Shadows
    • Shadows
    • Shooting Into The Sun
    • Snow Photos
    • Spanapalooza
    • Stand Alone Photos
    • Still Life Photos
    • Storm and Rain Photos
    • Street Photography
    • Sunset / Sunrise Photos
    • Sunrays
    • Surplus Love
    • The Yin/Yang of Families
    • Tibetan Monk Sand Painting
    • Timing in Photography
    • Trailer Landscapes
    • Trees
    • UNESCO Creative City - Santa Fe
    • United Farm Workers
    • Urban Landscapes
    • Variations on a Theme
    • Very Large Array Radio Telescopes
    • Vibrant Saturated Images
    • Vintage Ford and Cadillac Manufacturing
    • Vintage - Pre -digital photos
    • Water
    • Why I Take Photographs
    • Widelux F6: First Roll
    • Widelux Panoramic Photos
    • Working
    • WWII Reenactment
  • Archive

Espanola, New Mexico, Lowrider Show 2013 Revisited

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You could tell instantly that Ricardo Monzanares, 2, was the leader of the pack. He held his mother’s hand, and there was the family entourage accompanying, but with his jaunty fedora and lively walk, Ricardo was definitely into this year’s Mainstreet Showdown car show: watching the people and gazing at the cars.

I could easily identify with Ricardo, although I am certainly no leader of the pack as he is. I really enjoy watching people and I love old cars. So this was the place to be on Saturday.

There is something about a car show that brings diverse people together in a very positive way. You walk up to a car owner that you have never met before and it doesn’t take long to realize that no matter how different your lifestyles may be, you have something in common — the love of the auto. Owners are quick to point out how old the paint is on their cars, or the fact that the model they have, a two door, is much more rare than the same car with four doors. They are eager to share the story about how they found the car in Florida, a complete wreck with seawater damage, and how they resurrected it from the dead. The stories are great and the bonding that goes on refreshing in a time when it seems to most intimate communication people experience is with their smart phones.

Let’s face it, there is something about cars made in the ‘40s and 50s. It was a time when American automakers ruled and extravagance was king. Hood ornaments on some cars outweigh Smart cars — OK, I exaggerate. And the bumper on a ‘50s Caddy is more substantial than a lot of cars made these days — I don’t think that is an exaggeration. You got into a fender bender and you didn’t have to total the car. The metal was thick. The cars were heavy. When you swung a door closed you heard a reassuring "thunk.” Granted they were not the most ecologically sound or gas-friendly machines, but boy did they have style.

And you realize when you go to a show like the Mainstreet Showdown just how long and strongly that style endures.

Frank Chavez’s ’48 Chevy convertible. Mel Garcia’s Fleetline. The elegance of the dash in Tony Gallegos ’41 Checy. Andrew Padilla’s ’61 Impala.

You could walk around and it was like being in automotive dreamland.

When Jake Martinez rolled in with the old school “ Pojiquit Loco Garage” logo on the side of his ‘46 truck, you knew you had to talk with him. His daughter, Jennifer, came along and Martinez also brought a second vehicle, a ’41 Chevy Panel. And like other owners, he is enthusiastic about sharing his stories.

One of the things he stresses is that he likes to keep his cars and truck fairly simple. No fancy glitter paint for Jake.

Martinez has owned, or does own, a ’37 Chevy pickup. A ’31 Ford sedan. A ’48 Ford F100 pickup. A ’58 Yeoman wagon. A ’54 Chevy wagon. And a ’40 Studebaker. He’s retired after 31 years doing environment surveillance at LANL. He tells his wife that he was born too late (sort of like that ‘50s lament song about being born too late for a love), but being born too late hasn’t kept Martinez from having a number of automotive mistresses throughout the years.

He says he has a few acres in Los Luceros and decided to create a replica garage. Old gas pumps. Gas station sign, etc.

Then there are those oddities that always surprise at these shows.

Take Liz Cohen for instance. She brought a 1987 Tranbant from Detroit for this show. It was the first time she had shown the car. For those of you (myself included) who are unfamiliar with the Trabant, here is a quick course.

The Trabant is a car that was produced by former East German automaker VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau in Zwickau, Saxony. It was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc. The main selling points were that it had room for four adults and luggage in a compact, light and durable shell; it was fast (when introduced); and it was durable. With its poor performance, outdated and inefficient two-stroke engine (which returned poor fuel economy for the car's size and produced smoky exhaust), and production shortages, the Trabant is often cited as an example of the disadvantages of centralized planning; on the other hand, it is also regarded with derisive affection as a symbol of the failed former East Germany and of the fall of communism (in former West Germany, as many East Germans streamed into West Berlin and West Germany in their Trabants after the opening of the Berlin Wall in 1989). It was in production without any significant changes for nearly 30 years, with 3,096,099 Trabants produced in total. In 2008, Time magazine rated the Trabant as one of the 50 worst cars ever made. In the West, much has been written about the Trabant, mostly negative: to comedic effect, emphasis was placed on the shortcomings of the Trabant, rather than its good points, such as that it was simple to operate and easily repaired. However, many of the former owners of the Trabant still emphasize advantages such as high capacity—the Trabant being able to carry over 1000 kg of cargo, and in some cases it has become trendy for collectors to import older models to the United States due to their low cost and easier import restrictions on antique vehicles.

So, when I arrived early, when people were still setting up, I wandered by the east side of the old Hunter Ford building and saw Cohen with a helper starting to set up. The Trabant, at that point, looked like a small economy car. I figured, OK, it’s stock with some custom rims. Cool. I took a few photos and moved on. When I came back in the early afternoon, it was like seeing a child’s transformer. All of a sudden the mild mannered Trabant and had taken off its horned-rimmed glasses and turned into Super-Trabant, car show entrant! The body was all elongated and if you stood in the back, it actually looked as if the car was levitating! Those tricky communist car makers!

Cohen teaches photography at upscale Cranbrook Academy near Detroit, and it just goes to show that the allure of cars really crosses a lot of boundaries. She’s been working on the Trabant for 10 years and admits that there are still things she needs, or feels she needs, to do.

Which is a common refrain of the car owners. “I thought I was done but realized I have one more thing I need to do.” And then there is one more thing and one more thing…

Inside the Hunter building, Martin Maldenado was setting up his ‘36 Chevy Cabriolet. A convertible, of course, with a jump seat. A very sweet ride.

Ray Sandoval was there with his Impala. He said restoring it was two years of frustration, since he had to restore it from the frame up. But on display you don’t notice any of the frustration, you just notice an immaculate car and the small display details that Sandoval and his wife, Virgie, have added, like a car hop tray sitting in the driver’s window as if you have encountered the car at a drive-in.

This was the second year that Cultura Promotions have put on this event. The atmosphere was lively. The cars incredible. And the interaction between the owners and visitors invigorating. I’d love to see more events like this in the Valley.
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To contact Bob Eckert for assignments, consultations or workshops, please email [email protected]
​or use the contact form on the About page
  • Home
  • About
  • Clients
  • Projects
    • 2022 New Mexico Treasures Calendar
    • 2022 Pic of the Day
    • 2023 Pic of the Day
    • 2024 New Mexico Treasures Calendar
    • 2024 Pic of the Daly
    • Abandoned Buildings Series
    • Abiquiu Dam
    • Abiquiu Livestock Sale
    • Adjective Challenge
    • Aerial Photos
    • Agricultural Profile: Christopher Bassettt: Freshies of New Mexico Farm, Velarde, NM
    • Aircraft - BW Portraits
    • Agriculture
    • Albumen Prints
    • Albuquerque Aquarium
    • Albuquerque, New Mexico, Murals
    • Albuquerque Sunport Lowrider Show
    • Alt Fashion
    • Alt Portraits
    • Amish, Kalona, Iowa
    • Angel in Albuquerque
    • Art-o-Mat
    • Astro Zombies Murals
    • Behind the Scenes at the Circus
    • Birds
    • Black and White Photos
    • Black Mesa, San Ildefonso Pueblo
    • ​​Book Review: "Orale! Lowrider: Custom Made in New Mexico"
    • Breakdancing (b-boying or break-boying)
    • Brothers
    • Cabezon Peak
    • Calf Canyon, Hermits Peak Fire
    • Carlton, Oregon
    • Car Portraits
    • Cesar Chavez and the UFW
    • Cell Phones
    • Cerro Pedernal
    • Chama River (Rio Chama) Overlook — New Mexico
    • Chiaroscuro: Light and Dark
    • Chicano Park Murals
    • Children Portraits
    • Churches
    • Circus Behind the Scenes
    • Classical Gas Museum
    • Close Up Photos
    • Cloud Photos
    • Colors
    • Comic Con New Mexico
    • Computers
    • Concorso Santa Fe
    • Contrast
    • Crosswalk Painting
    • Cumbres Toltec
    • Day of the Dead, Albuquerque's Marigold Parade
    • Descansos
    • Design photographs in the style of Charles Sheeler
    • Detroit Street Photos
    • Dogs
    • Dragonfly Bus
    • Emma Eckert's Pendants
    • Explora Albuquerque
    • Fisheye Lens Portraits
    • Fisheye Lens Photos
    • Fisheye Lenses Discussed
    • Fog Smoke Haze in Photos
    • Gay Pride Parade
    • Ghost Ranch
    • Goggles Sunglasses and Masks
    • Goofing Around with mime Mark Wenzel
    • Gordon Tooley, Apple Guru
    • Hasselblad XPan Modification
    • Hats
    • Highway 550
    • Horizont Camera Panoramic Images
    • Humor
    • Industry
    • Indian Market Native Costumes
    • Infrared Photos
    • Infrared with a Leica M8 Camera
    • In Praise of Kit Lenses
    • In Praise of Manual Lenses
    • Insects
    • Instagram
    • International Center of Photography
    • Isabro Ortega, Truchas, NM, Woodcarver
    • Isolated Trees
    • Isolation Photos
    • Jeff Brock and Bombshell Betty
    • John Lea's Painted Truck
    • Juxtaposed
    • Kaleidoscope Photos
    • Lady of Guadalupe
    • Landscape Photos
    • License Plates
    • Light Quality
    • Lomography Spinner 360
    • Lowriders
    • Lowrider Day Espanola, NM
    • Lowrider Show 2013 Revisited
    • Lowrider Show Story August 2012
    • Lowrider Summer
    • Lowriders: Vintage San Francisco Bay Area Show
    • Luck in Photography
    • Luck in Photography vers 2.0
    • Luck in Photography vers 3.0
    • Luck in Photography vers 4.0
    • Luck (or Timing) in Photography vers 5
    • Luck in Photography vers 6.0
    • Luck in Photography vers 7.0
    • Luck in Photography vers 8.0
    • Luck in Photography vers 9.0
    • Luck in Photography vers 10
    • Luck in Photography vers 11
    • Luck in Photography vers 12
    • Luck in Photography vers 13
    • Luck in Photography vers 14
    • Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
    • Matachines de Alcalde
    • Mirror Images
    • Moody, Dark, Mysterious Photos
    • Moon Photos
    • Mountains
    • Moving Arts Espanola
    • Moving Landscapes
    • Murals in Espanola, New Mexico
    • Murals: Santa Fe, New Mexico
    • National Museum of Nuclear Science and History
    • Natural Dyeing with Glenna Dean
    • New Mexico Press Association 2022 Award Winner
    • New Mexico Press Association Award Winner
    • New Mexico Press Association 2024 Award Winner
    • New Orleans Street Photography
    • Nicholas Herrera El Rito Santero
    • NM Treasures 2023 Calendar Image
    • Northern New Mexico
    • Norteno Artist Portraits
    • Olympus Pen FT Half Frame First Photos
    • Owl Cafe, Albuquerque
    • Panoramic Mosaics
    • Panoramic Photos
    • Patterns in Photography
    • Pet Store Animal Photos
    • Photographers
    • Photographing Lowriders
    • Pic of the Day
    • Pink Cadillac
    • Plants and Flowers
    • Polaroids of Northern New Mexico
    • Portfolio of Ten
    • Portraits
    • Port of Portland
    • Portraits of Strangers
    • Published Favorites
    • Repetition in Photos
    • Resurrecting Film
    • Rio Arriba: A New Mexico County
    • Road to Pedernal
    • Rocket Heads Jewelry
    • San Francisco Chinatown
    • Santa Rosa de Lima Church Rluins
    • Scale in Photography
    • San Francisco Street Photos
    • Service People Portraits
    • Sequential Series Photos
    • Shadows
    • Shadows
    • Shooting Into The Sun
    • Snow Photos
    • Spanapalooza
    • Stand Alone Photos
    • Still Life Photos
    • Storm and Rain Photos
    • Street Photography
    • Sunset / Sunrise Photos
    • Sunrays
    • Surplus Love
    • The Yin/Yang of Families
    • Tibetan Monk Sand Painting
    • Timing in Photography
    • Trailer Landscapes
    • Trees
    • UNESCO Creative City - Santa Fe
    • United Farm Workers
    • Urban Landscapes
    • Variations on a Theme
    • Very Large Array Radio Telescopes
    • Vibrant Saturated Images
    • Vintage Ford and Cadillac Manufacturing
    • Vintage - Pre -digital photos
    • Water
    • Why I Take Photographs
    • Widelux F6: First Roll
    • Widelux Panoramic Photos
    • Working
    • WWII Reenactment
  • Archive