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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: ianofsussex on Friday 06 February 09 20:16 GMT (UK)
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Just wondering if anyone here can date the following photos please. I am told that they were taken at my great grandmother's funeral. I am doubtful though, as she died in 1935 and these seem to be earlier than that.
Any help appreciated
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Apologies for posting in wrong place.
Should also add, I'm really only looking to confirm whether or not it's around the rightish decade as opposed to getting the year itself.
Thanks
Ian
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Hi Ian, this is exactly the right place to post these lovely old photos for dating...the problem is that evidently, we don't seem to have much of a clue at the moment :D
I downloaded the top photo and have been searching for one dateable lady's dress, but they're all men at the forefront. I can see a couple of ladies' hats though, and the general feeling I have is that the photo is earlier than 1935...maybe 1910ish. Just a feeling, and my own opinion, and hopefully someone else will be able to pin it down. You'd think the car might be a clue, but from the photos of vintage cars I've been looking at, styles don't seem to have changed much from 1910 to 1935 :P
What is that thing with people piled on it on the left in the top photo?
I'd like to see a scan of the entire top photo including the corners, if possible, and in colour please.
Is there anything printed on the back?
Cheers,
China
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Hi chinakay
My post was moved here from where I originally posted it in error (the section above this one). Anyway thanks for taking the time to have a look at this one. I'll rescan the picture as soon as I can dig the original one out but it doesn't show any more than what is here I'm afraid.
Unfortunately, there's nothing written on the back (never is is there ;D ). The thing with people piled in is, I believe a tram car.
Thank you
Ian
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Hi Ian...what we're after when we ask of a full scan of a photo is the general look of the thing...is it photo right up to the edge, is there a frame, a border, what shape are the corners, what tones is it printed in, is there a photographers stamp...that sort of thing. Everything's a clue :)
We also like ot know if there is anything printed on the back...a design, a stamp, lines or postcard divisions. The back's a clue, too!
Cheers,
C
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Have repaired the cracks and done a little color adjustment
Irene
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and the other one
Irene
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Have to say it doesn't look like a funeral to me...all the men still have their hats on :-\
A bigger scan might help us to see some details.
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Oh my goodness, Prue, you've put your finger right on it...it was niggling me but I didn't grow up in England and just couldn't figure what was wrong.
The men would take their hats off and stand respectfully. Even, OH says, in the 60s and 70s. Servicemembers in uniform required to come to attention and salute. You still see it even now, although funerals seem to move a lot faster than they used to...
There's none of that here...people pushing into the street, craning their necks from that tram...it just doesn't look respectful. And of course, the hats.
Cheers,
C
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It looks more like the motorcade of some famous person or dignitary. Especially the way people are craning to see into the car - the people on the back of that tram are in danger of falling out!
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The hat thing had bothered me too. As a retired copper, I can remember many a time, standing by the kerb and saluting a passing hearse. Sadly, it's something you no longer see.
Thank you all for your time in looking at this, I shall dig out 'the brown suitcase' later and rescan the photos.
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Oookay, I've gone through the 'brown case' and rescanned the imagesat a higher res. You may notice something I initially missed (how, I don't know) - the wording on the back indicating that these are parts of postcards.
I notice too that in the crowd picture, there are at least two people who appear to be saluting or cap doffing. I am also of the opinion that that the rearmost vehicle does appear to be a hearse of some sort.
If needs be, I have scanned the fronts of these cards in even higher res and have hosted off site and can be downloaded here:
http://www.themawfamily.co.uk/pictures/high_res/scan1_hres.jpg
http://www.themawfamily.co.uk/pictures/high_res/scan2_hres.jpg
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...and the backs.
Just to add that neither photo was in a frame and no other supporting information. The only thing I can say is that if these came from my fathers side of the family, these would have been from the Poplar, West Ham, North London area.
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Thanks all for your help.
Ian
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I would take a wild guess at 1920s rather than before the First World War, just something about the scene. Are the two vehicles connected? People are standing in front of the, presumably stationary, hearse-like one to get a look at the front one drive by and the "hearse" is facing in the opposite direction to the front car. I would guess the front one is a visit by an "important" person, probably not Royalty as the police would salute them as well. Might the cap touchers be ex-servicemen saluting someone senior military? I don't think the crowd would behave like that, hanging out of tram windows etc, for a funeral.
Robert
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Thanks for taking a look. I'm trying to get a bit more info from family on this. Attempting to find out if a family took it and then had it made into a card or not. The quality certainly doesn't look professional and looks more like an amateur, opportunist type shot.
Ian