Clare Richardson is a longtime enthusiast of a story that may not be well-known to many: the DQ Grill & Chill at 708 W. Grand Ave. is recognized nationally for a popular photograph taken on July 11, 1951.
Richardson, many years ago, began the hunt for the photograph that would bring Hot Springs national notoriety and is the reason 72-cent ice-cream cones were offered by Dairy Queen Tuesday in celebration of the photo’s 72nd anniversary.
The image taken at the Hot Springs location is used nationwide by Dairy Queen in a variety of different media, ranging from items as small as gift cards to large murals. Richardson was intrigued by the origin of the photo when he first saw it on a mural at his local Dairy Queen in Chino, California, and was pushed even further by an advertisement asking patrons if they recognized it. This simple ad began Richardson’s two-year-long hunt to find where the photo was taken.
Richardson said he began by inspecting the mural, noting the quality of the image was impeccable for its time, so he analyzed the license plates of the cars photographed that day. Despite the quality of the photo, the license plate was unclear when it came to identifying the state but clearly read, “The Land of Opportunity” across the bottom of the plate.
This clue led Richardson to Arkansas and eventually to Hot Springs after an Arkansas woman informed him the photo looked like it was taken there. After uncovering the hidden location of the photo, he chased after the “why” and “when.”
Richardson said he originally thought the photo was taken in 1953 but was later contacted by a license plate collector from Colorado who disproved his theory. With this vital piece of information, he began his search for discovering why the photo was taken. He scoured archived newspapers, hoping to find the event that brought so many people out to Dairy Queen in July of 1951.
“I looked at the picture and thought that it must’ve been taken sometime in the summer,” Richardson said, “so I began my search for July 1st, 1951.”
After thumbing through newspapers, Richardson hit gold. A series of advertisements were published in the papers the days leading up to July 11 that invited everyone to celebrate the arrival of “Curly the Clown,” Dairy Queen’s mascot who Richardson explained was manufactured by National Animated Sign Company, or NASCO, which was located in Hot Springs at the time.
“I kept seeing ads saying he’s coming, and I thought, ‘Wow, I’m onto it,'” Richardson said.
The celebration of Curly the Clown included free food and balloons provided by Dairy Queen, as well as a free circus and magic show. As the photo depicts, the event was a hit attended by many in the community.
Richardson said he is hopeful by sharing the story of the photo, there may be action taken to memorialize its history.
“I would like to see a few things happen,” he said. “I would like to see a historical marker or for the Dairy Queen to be listed in the brochures for tourists under the ‘things to see’ column.”
While Richardson may have solved the mystery surrounding the photo, he said he feels the story is not over.
“I still have people reach out to me concerning the picture and its history,” he said. Despite pursuing this project for many years, he is still just as passionate about the story today as he was 20 years ago.
After dedicating his own time and research to finding the location of this historic photo, Clare Richardson points to small details he used to verify the old Dairy Queen on West Grand Avenue.
Clare Richardson holds up his 72 cent ice cream cone celebrating the 72nd anniversary of the Dairy Queen in Hot Springs.