So I got the ok to post photos from the huge archives that we have scanned over the last few years working on the book "The Art of George Barris" witch is still being worked on... I took care of the early years as well as Greg Sharp and Pat Ganhal.. they wrote the context and I did most of the captions and scanning... Anyway I've been posting a photo and write up daily on the Barris Kustom City Face book page so i'll add it here too...for those who don't face book.. Heres the first week... This was a neat photo that we found in the Barris archives.. its shows Mr. Roth surrounded by eager fans waiting to see his next airbrushed shirt... Kinda Crazy.. This is San Louis Obispo show in 1958... Check out that line up.. Most cars in the room were famous top notch show cars... Shirley's Tbird, Andregg Roadster, Kookie Car, Ala Kart, Jeffries Porsch, The Moon Rocket, The Tiago Ranchero (2nd Version), Mc Nulty Corvette...to name a few.. Pretty Neat! This shot is of some of the fellas working the Kustom City booth selling monster shirt to the kiddies!! well waiting to at least.. To the left you see the back of XM-SC 210 (as in eXperiMental Speed Coupe) and on the a right looks link a nicely dress Nailhead or Small Block in a boat.. Oh and lets not forget our neighbors Ogdon Judo and Karate school..Hahaha his is a great shot of George and the fellas bringing the casket in to become what is now known as the Dragula. The story George told me that they went into a casket shop and told the guy they wanted to buy a casket the man said "Where is the deceased being buried?" No one is dead he replied well were gonna build a car out of it... The salesman refused to sell it to George.. when the guy when in the back George and his pals grabbed the casket and left a few hundred dollars on the counter to cover the cost plus a little extra...and bolted out the door with the casket.. Its not uncommon to go to the shop and find a film crew shooting something going on.. Not sure what was being shot here but its just a cool look into the past of what has been countless times the shop has been shot.
Fantastic stuff - thanks for sharing with those of us that are troglodytes and who aren't married to facebook.
Looks like even Buddy Holly was a fan. I love old pictures like those, can't get enough of them. Thanks for posting. Do
Its my pleasure to share these... I have a hard drive full of photos i'll try to post one a day if time permits... Stay Tuned..
Hopefully by the end of the year... Its coming along pretty well.. Brett has been working on it for a few years now..its the story form beginning to present day.. witch isa whole lotta of material.. But its gonna be great...
that is some cool pics.glad i saw his creations last fall when i was there.and george and his staff were great to meet.the man is a legend and i would recommend everybody to check it out.
I wish.. maybe one day I could talk them into it... Thanks guys.. I'll have a new photo up tomorrow... Stay Tuned
The Jalopy Journal
