Lets get started!
As always, the first step I take when analyzing an image is to open the image in a new tab and ‘save as’. This allows me to see the full image, as well as manipulate by cropping or adjusting lighting if necessary. Once in full view, I started searching for clues. There were not many to go off of this time, other than the lettering in the background on top of the building “EVERYMA.” I decided this may be a great opportunity to try a reverse image search. Statues tend to be popular photo ops, so with a little luck maybe this one is famous.
I stumbled upon a great image intelligence resource at https://start.me/p/ZMXLlA/imint-vi. There is no shortage of reverse image searches, as well as other links for image forensics, photo sharing libraries, and more. Shockingly I did not have any luck using the reverse image search.
When in doubt, Google it. I decided to Google “everyman bald statue” almost jokingly, and BINGO! The image was linked to a TripAdvisor page. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186534-d13796964-Reviews-Statue_As_Proud_As-Glasgow_Scotland.html
The TripAdvisor page is arguably the most fruitful find for this challenge. It is on this page that we learn a few key pieces of information. We can see the name of the statue is ‘As proud as’, and the location is Glasgow, UK.
Google Maps
We now have plenty of information to find our handsome statue. Searching the name of the statue leads us right to the square where it is located. If you use the Street View method, don’t forget to walk around the buildings as you may have landed on the wrong side. Now we can confidently answer question #1: Where is this man located?
55.859422663128754, -4.25296980669134, east entrance to Princess Square in Glasgow, UK.
Additionally, we only need to do a little clicking within Google Maps to determine the answers to numbers 2 and 3. Of course I could fill this section with more screenshots of the statues gaze and try and analyze the angles etc., BUT instead I encourage you to just take a quick look for yourself!
#2: What building is he looking at?
He is staring/looking off to the Royal Exchange Court building (his body is facing the ‘Cancer Research UK’ store).
The large building behind the statue (pictured in the original tweet) is a collection of stores known as the Princess Square Shopping Center. Many malls and shopping centers have their own dedicated websites, which are only a Google away. The website for this shopping center can be found at https://www.princessquare.co.uk/. Furthermore, if you do a little digging into the site’s menu you can locate a directory listing of the stores within, from A-Z. So…
#3: What’s in the building behind him?
The following establishments:
Alexander Millar Fine Art; Argento; Barca ; Blendworks; COS; Cafe Bombon; Cranachan; Darcy’s; Diamond Heaven ; Dower & Hall; Essence of Harris; French Connection; Il Pavone; Jax; Kate Spade New York; Kurt Geiger; Manhattan Nails; NY Bar and Grill; October; Reiss; Sassoon Salon; Sheila Fleet; Space NK; Ted Baker; The Pen Shop; The Restaurant Bar and Grill; Timothy Oulton; Tinderbox; Vivienne Westwood; Whistles; Zizzi
Lessons Learned
Google searches are 100% free. Even if you think its dumb or laughable, don’t be afraid to Google a long shot like “everyman bald statue”. Just don’t waste a lot of unnecessary time trying it. You may just stumble on a golden nugget.
As always, I was a little curious about the subject of the challenge after I answered the questions. So I was able to find a few details about the statue, including:
And finally, since so much attention has been paid to the big man himself, I thought I’d share my favorite picture of the statue..
