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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: bailey216 on Saturday 16 September 17 13:25 BST (UK)

Title: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: bailey216 on Saturday 16 September 17 13:25 BST (UK)
?? Milk float

?? London

?? Horsham

?? 1860-70s
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: Treetotal on Saturday 16 September 17 19:52 BST (UK)
I would have said this was much later...early 1900s would have been my guess.
Carol
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: Handypandy on Saturday 16 September 17 21:15 BST (UK)
One from me....
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: John915 on Saturday 16 September 17 21:42 BST (UK)
Good evening,

There is no board on the cart to identify the dairy so it may just be a farmer transporting his milk. The churns are pre 1930 17 gallon type. The cylindrical 10 gallon version with mushroom head came out in 1930 to replace them.

John915
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: McGroger on Saturday 16 September 17 23:39 BST (UK)
I wonder if an "earliest-possible" date could be put on it by someone who knows something about the history of horse and carts. What strikes me is the mudguard, unusual to see pics of ones on cart wheels, and it certainly has a distinctive shape. Unfortunately I know nothing about them and couldn't find an answer by googling. Help, horse and cart experts!
Cheers, Peter.
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: Trishanne on Sunday 17 September 17 02:09 BST (UK)
One from me
Pat
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: bailey216 on Sunday 17 September 17 09:20 BST (UK)
Thank you all so much for the information and restorations, you lovely people, the picture looks amazing and can see more detail now 😘😘😊😊😊
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: Wiggy on Sunday 17 September 17 09:52 BST (UK)
The cart appears to have metal leaf springs . . . I wonder if that  helps in the dating?

I will have to google leaf springs.  Not having much luck - all the pictures I can find have the springs curving up and down, while this photo they are only curving down.

I don't know enough about it!   :(
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: John915 on Sunday 17 September 17 10:29 BST (UK)
Good morning,

Leaf springs date back to medieval times, usually wooden. Although there is some evidence that they were used by the ancient egyptians as well.

The metal springs as we know them, like those on the cart date back to the 1800s. Those on the cart are semi-elliptical ie; only one curve.

The type you looked at Wiggy are elliptical ie; two opposed springs. Often used for light weight springing for comfort on seats on carriages, buckboards etc for long daily use.

The more I look at the picture the more convinced I am that it is just a farmer taking his milk to the dairy. He has 2 churns so up to 34 gals of milk so about a dozen cows at most. Although cows weren't such prodigious milk producers in those days, depending on breed of cow, 5 or 6 gals a day would be good. Unlike my fathers day when the herd he milked produced an average 10 gals a day with a few at 12 gals. Good old British Friesians with bags hanging on the ground nearly.

John915
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: Wiggy on Sunday 17 September 17 10:34 BST (UK)
I don't think the photo is particularly old, do you?     It looks as if it could be early 20th Century?
I don't think photography was advanced enough to take a photo like that in the 1850-60s.

Just guessing mind you.     ;)

Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: McGroger on Sunday 17 September 17 10:49 BST (UK)
Another version for you. Cheers, Peter.
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: Treetotal on Sunday 17 September 17 11:20 BST (UK)
I don't think the photo is particularly old, do you?     It looks as if it could be early 20th Century?
I don't think photography was advanced enough to take a photo like that in the 1850-60s.

Just guessing mind you.     ;)

I agree....like I said earlier it looks more like early 1900s from the oval mount and dress of the gent.Just my opinion. How big is the photo and is there anything on the back Bailey? oval mounts didn't appear until the 1870s if I remember correctly.
Carole
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: Wiggy on Sunday 17 September 17 11:22 BST (UK)
Carole!   Should have just quoted you and 'ditto-ed'!!

Wiggy!   ;D
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: Trishanne on Sunday 17 September 17 11:35 BST (UK)
Is this actually an early colour photo. The colours shown in my restoration appeared as I brightened and highlighted the photo to get more definition. I have not added any colours myself to this restoration.
Pat
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: Wiggy on Sunday 17 September 17 11:57 BST (UK)
I was not getting any evidence of colour when I played with it.     :-\ :-\

Wiggy   
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: John915 on Sunday 17 September 17 12:28 BST (UK)
Good morning,

Colour photography had been experimented with from the mid to late 80s but the first commercially successful process was 1907. The Lumiere brothers autochrome system.

John915
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: Treetotal on Sunday 17 September 17 12:49 BST (UK)
I have four hand tinted Carte de Visites from the 1870s....also Dags and Ambrotypes have been hand tinted as early as 1860s.
Carol
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: japeflakes on Sunday 17 September 17 13:02 BST (UK)
Sorry, horse moved as I framed it :-(
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: rsinbad on Sunday 17 September 17 17:55 BST (UK)
One from me
Title: Re: Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float
Post by: tonepad on Sunday 17 September 17 20:10 BST (UK)
A website on milk floats:

http://www.gail-thornton.co.uk/trade-vehicles/dairy.php


Mudguards seem to be a standard feature and this type of vehicle dates back at least to the 1890s.