RootsChat.Com

Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: Treetotal on Sunday 02 November 08 13:04 GMT (UK)

Title: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Treetotal on Sunday 02 November 08 13:04 GMT (UK)
I would love opinions on when this photo was taken...if it is the person I think it is...it would have been taken in the early 1900s...George...on the right of the pic was born in 1846.
Would appreciate your help and comments ;D
Thanks ~ Carol
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: IgorStrav on Sunday 02 November 08 13:06 GMT (UK)
Carol, what a wonderful picture.  What are they having, bacon sarnies??? :)
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: charles w on Sunday 02 November 08 13:12 GMT (UK)
A great photograph.  ;)
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Treetotal on Sunday 02 November 08 13:32 GMT (UK)
It's wonderful isn't Igor and Charles...It could be bacon or sausages ;D ;D ;D
Don't you just love the "Man Bags" ;D ;D ;D ;D
Carol
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: IgorStrav on Sunday 02 November 08 13:35 GMT (UK)
I think it's a real snippet of history, this one.

I noticed the straw bags with leather straps for the "snap", and your rellie also seems to have a beer bottle just to hand  ;)  Ooh and the man sitting on the left has his bottle in his breast pocket!

I agree that the man at the "barbie"  ;D has his thumb on something quite large resting on the bread, so perhaps it is a sausage.
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: mudge on Sunday 02 November 08 13:41 GMT (UK)
Hi
Two quick cleanups
mudge
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Treetotal on Sunday 02 November 08 13:42 GMT (UK)
I agree...a lovely piece of social history...Love the fancy napkin on George's lap too...probably a neckerchief ;D ;D ;D...He was a "Brickie"
Carol
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Treetotal on Sunday 02 November 08 13:45 GMT (UK)
Wow thanks Mudge for giving them all a "Wash & Brush up"...and you put the sweeping brush back after you too ;D ;D ;D
Thanks for taking the time....a lovely job 8)
Carol
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: mudge on Sunday 02 November 08 14:54 GMT (UK)
Hi
Here's my coloured version
mudge
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Treetotal on Sunday 02 November 08 15:01 GMT (UK)
Aw Mudge I love it...you've brought out all the detail in it...love the brazier 8) 8)
Thanks so much for taking the time to colour it :-*...Hope they made you a sausage sandwich whilst you worked on It ;D ;D ;D
Carol
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: kesannah on Sunday 02 November 08 15:15 GMT (UK)
What a smashing photo.

Nice restores too.
 I love the way it has come to life with Mudges colouring. 
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Polldoll on Sunday 02 November 08 16:12 GMT (UK)
great pic tt ...just bookmarking to remnd me to have a go too :)
Poll
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Treetotal on Sunday 02 November 08 16:19 GMT (UK)
Thanks Kesannah...great isn't it 8)

Poll...I'd be disappointed if you didn't ;D ;D ;D

Carol
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: ardchronie on Sunday 02 November 08 16:21 GMT (UK)
Hi Carol

What a brilliant photo!  They all look so content with their beer and sandwiches!

For what it is worth, their work clothes look similar to a postcard I have of workmen at Hampton Court Palace which was posted in the early 1900s (postmarked 1904).

Now I feel like a bacon sandwich myself!
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Polldoll on Sunday 02 November 08 16:24 GMT (UK)
Just back from watching Hulll scare the life out of Man U ... wow

.... will have a go after The GRAND PRIX .... ;)
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Treetotal on Sunday 02 November 08 16:32 GMT (UK)
Hi Ardchronie...Thanks for that...That's really helpful and confirms what I hoped :-*

Poll....You could hear the support all over the village ;D ;D ;D...as a non footie fan...I actually watched the highlights on "Match of The Day" :o :o :o..That's a 1st for me ;)
Carol
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Polldoll on Sunday 02 November 08 16:43 GMT (UK)
I had a sign hanging over the rail... I was in front row... saying Hi to caz ... Took a pic before I went of it strung up on my bannisters  lol ... DID YOU SEE ME ?  ;D ;D ;D She thinks I am mad !! .... sorry ...off topic ... :-[
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Treetotal on Sunday 02 November 08 16:47 GMT (UK)
 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D...No...but I was looking out for you :-\
Carol ;)
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: chinakay on Sunday 02 November 08 21:52 GMT (UK)
Anything on the back, Trees?

China
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Treetotal on Sunday 02 November 08 22:40 GMT (UK)
Hiya China....Nice to see you ;)......I'm afraid it doesn't have a back...it was emailed to me some time ago :-\
Carol
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: chinakay on Monday 03 November 08 04:36 GMT (UK)
Oh ::)

Well, if you should happen to be in touch with the email source, and should happen to ask what's on the back, be sure to mention it here ;D

China
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: LyndonD on Tuesday 04 November 08 17:04 GMT (UK)
Hi there
Fabulous image with not too many clues? They are clearly working with a lot of dust and possibly the 'lumps' of stone are the clue. Your relative is certainly looking good for for his age if he is 60+ ? Has he a watch in his pocket; he looks in charge? His beard is a clue to rural or coastal surroundings as are those bags? East Anglia? Could that be beer in narrow necked bottles or is it likely to be cider? These guys are used to covering up with those 'hankies' and someone clever might recognise the 'bonding' on the brickwork.
.....Can only guess at around 1900.
Good luck
Lyndon
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Treetotal on Tuesday 04 November 08 17:39 GMT (UK)
Hi Lyndon,
Thanks for your interest...if it's the right George...and the pic is dated around 1900..that would make him 54 years old...he was a Bricklayer born in Leicester.
I think it's a great image of the working classes of the day!
Carol
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: walkerpete on Tuesday 04 November 08 18:09 GMT (UK)
The bags, with their fold over top section  look like a superior version of what we used to call a 'bass' on the Yorkshire coast in the 50s & 60s.

We used them to carry our fry of fish home from the harbour. You could give them a quick swill and they didn't smell to bad, though mother insisted I kept mine in the wash house!

Pete
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Treetotal on Tuesday 04 November 08 18:40 GMT (UK)
Aw pete...I remember the Bass bags from my childhood too...Cue for the Dvorak's Classic Hovis theme tune ;D ;D ;D ;D
Carol
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: beady on Tuesday 04 November 08 19:34 GMT (UK)
This looks like the original training lesson for Local Government employees. They still haven't filled in the pothole.
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: ali607 on Tuesday 04 November 08 20:04 GMT (UK)
Hi, i don't know if this may help but I have a workmen's photo from about 1906 - possibly a year either side but no more. It is of my great grandad as an apprentice for a building firm...he was the plumber. he's the young man at the back 2nd from left. I personally think the men in the pictures look a quite similar in the way theyre dressed although obviously yours is a more casual shot. I would perhaps plump for a few years earlier for yours - just after turn of century perhaps...of course I could be totally wrong , but though you might like to see the picture to compare

Alison
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Treetotal on Tuesday 04 November 08 20:50 GMT (UK)
Thanks so much Alison for sharing your lovely photo and it does look to be from roughly the same period...You must be very proud to have this one in your collection 8) 8)
Thanks again for your help and your interest :-*
Carol
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Polldoll on Wednesday 05 November 08 00:37 GMT (UK)
Cracking photo Alison !!
 Here is a  restore Carol ... would liked to have done better .... Ican smell the sausages now though !l ;D oops posted wrong one ...  heres the preferred version ...
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: mudge on Wednesday 05 November 08 00:52 GMT (UK)
Alison
Why don't you post you image on a seperate thread and get a makeover for it?
mudge
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: Treetotal on Wednesday 05 November 08 09:57 GMT (UK)
Poll....That is brilliant :o :o :o...I think you have done wonders with such a poor scan 8)....Thanks so much for taking the time to do it.....we do everyone else's pics and don't seem to get the time to do our own ;D
You are a love :-*
Carol
Title: Re: Please could anyone date the workmen?
Post by: wendy47 on Wednesday 05 November 08 10:27 GMT (UK)
Hi

Amazed at all the hard work on a great photo.... well done.

The bottles would normally be filled with cold tea, rather than beer!!  Sorry to shatter the illusion, though beer would be a better accompaniment to the bangers!!

Best wishes

wendy47