web analytics
The Secret (a treasure hunt) / Title Page
 | 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

Title Page

This version was saved 7 years, 2 months ago View current version     Page history
Saved by Oregonian
on January 7, 2017 at 5:54:19 pm
 

General notes on Title Page

  • This is a two-page spread that appeared at the start of The Secret.  It gives the title of the book and lists the various contributors and the publisher.
  • The artist for this image is JJ Palencar, and his initials can be seen on the monument.
  • The drawing has unusual shapes that seem to be clues, but isn't clear how this page might work with the other illustrations.

 

 

 

Specific Observations

  Please record your notes about the title page in the list below.  Use the letter/number grid to identify the point on the image that you're describing.  To keep things organized, 1) please start each observation with a letter/number combo (in bold), and 2) add new observations in the right place on the list to keep everything alphabetized.

  • E9 - The smile on the figure's face is very similar to the expression on half of the Montreal image.

 

The Fence:

 

Specific Observations

  Please record your notes about the fence in the list below.

  • The winding lines look like paths or roads.

 

 

 

The Figure:

 

Specific Observations

  Please record your notes about the figure in the list below.

  • The smile on the figure's face is very similar to the expression on half of the Montreal image.
  • The wrinkles on the right sleeve appear to form letters (possibly WhIP).
  • The wrinkles on the left sleeve may show the number 14.
  • The laces on the right legging appear to be significant.  Possibly Roman numerals?  VXX?

 

 

 

Other Notes:

  • The facial features of the woman match up well with the statue of Christopher Columbus in Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park.  But several parts of the image match up well with features found in or near Boston's Back Bay Fens.  The hints in Verse 3 also seem to point to both of those two places.  It's possible that searchers are meant to start at the statue and then progress to the Fens. The "five steps" in the verse might be metaphorical references to city blocks, subway stops, freeway exits, or something similar.

 

 

Image Matches

 

The woman has a strong facial resemblance to the Christopher Columbus Statue located in Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park in Boston's North End.  This would make sense with both the connection to Italy and the presence of the globes in the painting.

 

According to the inscription on the pedestal, the statue was dedicated in October of 1979, which would have made it still a new and notable feature when Preiss visited in 1982.

 

 

 

Latitude / Longitude Hints

The "42" on the woman's cuff could be a reference to the latitude of the greater Boston area, which stretches from 42.2 degrees north to 42.5 degrees north. 

 

The longitude of the greater Boston area ranges from 70.9°W to 71.2°W.  No numbers within that range appear in the picture (CONTESTED SEE PANEL BELOW)

 

The "112" above the flower has led many people to believe that the casque might be in Salt Lake City, Utah (located at 40.7°N 112°W).  That interpretation would make it hard to understand the "42" on the cuff.

 

The unique curved section in her hair right above the flower could also be an upside down 3. If one looks at the "112" upside down, it looks like "711". The 3 is in-line then with 711, making 7113. Boston's rough longitude is west 71.13 (or -71.13). Being upside down could represent that it is negative (or west).

 

The fact that the 3 is in her hair and not in the flower could represent use in both coordinates. 42.3, -71.13 is a point that lies on the border of the official city of Boston.

 

Alternatively, the 3 may only apply to the latitude (42). 42.3, -71.1 would then be the implied coordinates. Copley Sq., Boston Public Library, the "Two Circles", the parks within the Fens and some other areas of interest (like Harvard's Medical School) lie within these coordinates (more precisely defined as .01 degrees off these coordinates).

 

 

 

Using both the "42" and the "112" as map coordinates is the worst possible solution because 42°N 112°W would place us in remote southeastern Idaho.

 

 

 

Questions, questions, questions...

  • Are there any good photos showing what the "Two Circles" structure would have looked like in 1981?
  • Does the "Two Circles" structure at Charlesgate Park have an official name? When (and why) was it built? What was its intended purpose?
  • Who's going to get the necessary permissions and go dig this thing up?

 

 

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.