In Alaska, the section of the Seward Highway, south of Anchorage, where it runs along the Turnagain Arm is a breath taking drive: mountain grandeur, forests, dynamic coastline. There are a lot of scenic sights. To aid the tourists, pull-offs are designated with camera symbols. These symbols are an interesting study in how highway departments have represented cameras iconographically.
This is an old one, maybe dating to the 1970s? The camera is an older, view-finder model.
Then there is this snappy image of a professional SLR camera, note the trapizoidal view finder area above the lense and the shutter timer on the left. This image is suggestive of classic quality Japanese cameras of the 70s/80s: Canon AE-1, Pentax ME and in particular the Nikon FM/FE
In other sections a more ped-like simplified image is used:
Is this a more amateur-friendly camera? Too me the image is not as compelling as either of the first two. Maybe it's newer and it presages digital cameras? A DSLR? The presense of film winders on the top of the camera suggests it still lingers in the film era.
Of course this begs the question: What is the relevant image now? For most people the camera is dead. It was superseded by the smartphone. Maybe we should have just stuck to the binocular image all along?
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