High archive weirdness

The slogan for the Bralorne Pioneer Museum is “Their Past Lives Here.” One might be forgiven for thinking the future lives there as well.

Check out this picture off of the online archive. (Full size here.)

Reopening of the South Fork Bridge after flood in Nov. 1940
1941 (?), South Fork Bridge, Gold Bridge, B.C. Canada

The dude with the hipster sunglasses, print t-shirt and (maybe, I can’t see it clearly myself) portable camera in his hands seems a little out of place… er, time.

Possessing no relevant expertise or knowledge… if I had to guess, I would say this is one hell of a cool prank. Or maybe some unexpectedly hip viral marketing from the Virtual Museum of Canada?

Via Disinformation: “Time Traveler Caught in 1940 Photo?”

It’s also possible, as discussion at fogetomori (entry and comments) suggests, that there is nothing all that unusual about this photo, really… But what’s the fun in that conclusion?

PS: My scoop was scooped by Boing Boing, and therefore has been read by the entire internet before I hit ‘publish’ here. ‘Curses’ indeed. But I post too infrequently to delete this… Must. Have. Content.