On the origin of the first album cover

Perun

Perun

His name struck fear into hearts of men
Staff member
Here's an interesting tidbit from Derek Riggs' Facebook page:

Hi It's Derek.
Here's a thing. Earlier I was talking to a friend about when I used to live in Finsbury Park in London in the mid 1970's, and how run down it was back then. Well I went to look on Google Earth to see if it was still there and how much it had changed and then I realized that I could get a street view. So this is a picture of the railway bridge and the wall and the houses in the background that inspired the background of the first Iron Maiden album cover. Of course it was night, there was a big moon in the sky and the trees weren't there then (it was over thirty years ago). For those who wish to know, this is Endymion Road N4, in London UK. it is the north Western exit from Finsbury Park N4.
The house I rented a room in was just around the corner in Oakfield Road (down to the end and to the right)
have fun
D
Thanks to Google Earth for the photo.


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Really cool. I love these kind of geographical connections.

E.g. here's the first Sabbath album:
800px-Mapledurham_Watermill_3.JPG
I wonder if these lanterns are still the same ones. On the cover I see a thicker one. Might not be on the streetview, or else Derek changed it for the cover.
 
See that little word "or" in there Forostar? :D

No, it won't be the same street lights. Street lights used to be kerbside (as well as, contruction wise, being metal clad in concrete/or just solid metal; iron or something); but they moved them all away from the road (against walls & the like) as people were always, as people do, wrapping their cars around them.
 
Although, having just said that --the street light on the first album cover is clearly against the wall...
Maybe it was always so; it is a pretty narrow pavement...
 
CriedWhenBrucieLeft said:
See that little word "or" in there Forostar? :D

No, it won't be the same street lights. Street lights used to be kerbside (as well as, contruction wise, being metal clad in concrete/or just solid metal; iron or something); but they moved them all away from the road (against walls & the like) as people were always, as people do, wrapping their cars around them.
Click to expand...
Oops! Street lights! :) Thanks for that info. I like Riggs' portrayal of street lights (also on Killers), so that's why I spotted the difference. Big chance that he used the real ones for his artwork.
 
Forostar said:
I wonder if these lanterns are still the same ones. On the cover I see a thicker one. Might not be on the streetview, or else Derek changed it for the cover.
Click to expand...

If you go onto street view and zoom to the location where the white van is down the road you will see one of the original street lamps which is the same design as on the record sleeve.

Endymion Road.jpg
 
Ahh, very interesting Baztac; thanks for posting that. However, are you saying that the council genuinely hasn't replaced this street light since 1980? It looks similar, but that sounds pretty unlikely. (Although, I speak only from knowledge of how street lights were progressively replaced throughout the late-80's/90's in Scotland.) It looks pretty scruffy, admittedly; but I find it hard to believe that's the same structure. The light shade/head is certainly modern.

Nothing like a good street light debate...
 
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No idea why this one was left in as it looks like it might be the last one all the rest in the area are more modern. I would agree with you that they would have renewed the head/shade at some point as it is a different style to the cover.
 
Indeed. Although, unless he was using artistic license, the album clearly depicts a lamp post at the end of the wall. I don't see this today. The wall looks extended just to the left (about 10 yards to the left) of the lamp post you posted a picture of.
 
I am sure Derek would have used artistic license. The scene wont be exactly copied and lamposts positions could have been moved. However I tried to look at two possible locations on street view but you obviously cant get the exact positioning correct due to street views limitations. This is a slightly different view of Dereks photo.

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Great discussion ! I've always thought that, given the rather generic background, it was useless to look for a specific location ; Derek could have imagined all this. As for the ligths, I thought they were just a kind of counterpart for Eddies' lunatic eyes. And Forostar, the picture of the house for the first Sabbath album is great. Has anyone seen the horror movie Sauna ? Since I've seen this, Sabbath cover always reminds me of it.
 
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