Long Shot Photo ID

What does the sign on the ground say?

The pilot in the cockpit seems to be wearing a crush air force hat, but the  MPs talking to him might be wearing maybe Canadian army hats?   The shape seems odd. The cars in the background seem to be maybe mid to late 1940s.   One of the cars almost looks two-tone, but that may be a shadow effect.

Actually, there is something quite different in the way the shark mouth is painted on this plane.  Most Shark P-40s have many more teeth along each side.   Also many (most?) seem to have a red  tongue behind the bottom teeth.  Also the top line of the mouth often curves upwards in the middle,  kind of a sneer effect.  Often the teeth will curve backwards.  These teeth look more like triangles almost perfectly offset, bottom fitting into the gap in the top. The inside of this shark mouth appears to be completely black.  There is also a lot of variation in how the eyes are done.  Whether all these other things are just after war artistic license taken on the various war birds I don't know.  Supposedly the English actually started painting Shark mouths according do some web sites I have seen.   It would be interesting to actually look at some vintage photos to see what actually WWII shark mouths looked like.

Hi Gary,
The post (European) war bases my father-in-law was stationed at include Abilene, TX; La Junta, CO; and Selfridge, MI.  I do not have any information to indicate if the photo was taken at any of these.
 
Bill

I got a copy of Images of Aviation Selfridge Field by Larsen and Nigro, but have not found anything in it to help identify my photo.
 
Bill

I spent 12 years on Selfridge....remember Lou Nigro when he was a "butter bar".   I also have the "images of Aviation..Selfridge Field" .  Good read.   I did the nose art on a/c 80772 on page 111....I was the crew chief on her until we transistioned to F-4's in '77 or '78.
As for the P-40 in question here, I cannot identify it as being at Selfridge.  The area doesn't look familiar to me. Maybe it was too long before my time.
 
Mike

I would agree it is probably the same plane but I don't think it is at the same time or perhaps even the same place.  In the original picture, the "Shark" sign is located very close and almost "even" with the stairs, in the Iowa Fair Picture, the sign is placed more forward if the stairs.   
In the original photo, behind the left wing of the plane is a white building, in the Iowa picture there seems to be some windblown trees.
In the original photo, the chock on the right wheel has a rope hanging down across the front of the chock, in the Iowa photo I don't see the rope in the same position.
In the original photo, the stairs have a hand rail.   I don't see the hand rail in the Iowa photos.    
If this plane was a Army Air Force  "touring" plane, used for displays at fairs, air shows, etc. and they used the same equipment at each location, the addition of the hand rail on the stairs may mean the original photo was taken later than the Iowa photo.  

Bill, I'm glad to have shed some light. I take it that the photo you posted was taken by your father-in-law? If so, based on the info you provided, I'd say that it's highly likely that your photo was taken at the Nebraska State Fair in 1942.
 
RSwank, I have to say that I must oppose your comparative analysis of the photos. If you'd like me to expound, I will... although, if I were to do so, it's bound to be rather lengthy. However, I will say this... it's 'Nebraska', not 'Iowa'...
 
Fade to Black...

Is definitely home front. Arm bands on two leaning toward cockpit are Observers. Have many in collection.