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Yes, this is indeed Dick Nixon, future president and mastermind of the Watergate scandal, forced to resign in August 1974. And no, we don’t know what year the photo was taken nor what the location is — other than in Southern California. Perhaps his gaze is toward the approaching flames or of a fire-fighting aircraft.
Dear reader: if you have an inkling of when and where this is, please share.
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This may be the answer:
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Skirball-Fire-recalls-1961-Bel-Air-inferno-that-12410921.php
George, I think you’re correct — and hey, good to hear from you, amigo.
See this video from 1961-62 about the LA fire:
Only Nixon would wear a tie while hosing down his roof.
Actually chuckled. An AC.
Let’s see … in 1961 or 62, Nixon had just lost his race for California governor and was living in LA as a lawyer. So, Pat must have called him and he had to rush home from the office, grab the garden hose and a ladder and climb up on the roof. He obviously had no time for such niceties as to conform to what was fashionable. (Just realized what was in the word “niceties”…) Of course, being a brainiac like other California electeds, right after this huge fire, he organized a movement to stop development around LA in fire zones.
The other, very distinct possibility, is that this was just a very poorly staged photo op by people so out of touch with the regular guy that they didn’t see the tie as odd.