What was there? #529 -1939 Chrysler Imperial - New Yorker Manzanar Relocation Center, 1943

[Ray B.]

What car was there, behind this white shape on the left, before I erased it?

Inspired by Wendax great idea in his Invisible puzzle (and having duly asked him if he would agree) I try my hand at an "invisible" of my own.
Find where and when this picture was taken and maybe you'll have a good chance to identify this mystery car.

[Otto Puzzell]

Well, the rest of the pic seems to have disappeared as well. 

From what I saw earlier, I'm going to make a broad guess - is it the Chrysler Norseman, waiting to be loaded on to the Andrea Doria?

[Ray B.]

 

Well, you know, the usual uploading trouble. Ten minutes later, it worked.

[João]

1939 Chrysler Imperial - New Yorker Sedan?

[Ray B.]

Gee that was fast!
And it means that you've found the original photo, which is mainly what I hope you puzzlers will do in that kind of puzzles.
In the future, I will also ask where and when.
Well done!

[Wendax]

A really nice variation of my puzzle idea. I like it 

[D-type]

I am probably not alone in being none the wiser for seeing the original photo.  What does it depict?  The picture title and the thread title say "Manzanar Reloction Centre" and googling that gives a part answer.  But does this particular photo depict a significant event in Japanese-American history?

[Ray B.]

Roughly (I am no historian), during WWII, the US government didn't know how far he could trust its Japanese-American citizens (the "nisei") who were numerous in the western states. So, by fear that they could spy for the Japan Empire or whatever, they were regrouped and "relocated" in camps like Manzanar, situated far from the main cities, I think.

I was hoping that, recognizing japanese, an american vehicle of the 1940's and a not very japanese landscape, puzzlers could be led to the picture and the solution. It appears that Joao knew were to look.

[D-type]

Thanks for the explanation.