Mystery group photo ... views welcome

[Paul E]

where were you 10 years ago?

Scratching head ...  'may' have been in Garstang near Preston when I bought this ... or Manchester.
Not much help I'm afraid!

I have a definate leaning towards a group of politicians (not in the literal sence, of course!) - Liberals or maybe the Independent Labour Party.  But there's just nothing to pin it on.

Your ideas are starting to get me thinking though!

cheers

Paul

[Arquebus]

Hi Paul...Well, I had a quick look....Haven't a clue, but a good number of them are wearing lapel badges and some of the ties seem to have a repetitive  motif on them.

Enlarging the Group 4 shot, some of the lapel badges have an extra bit (like a crown) others are plain round.

Enlarging the two rounds much more, I can see a form of a cross in the centre of the round....almost like a 'red cross' shape with the centre square missing......this could be as a result of enlargement (ie pixels) but I don't think so as the shade diffrence is there, albeit faint.

There are about 40 males in the shot, but it's too early to be the current Man U football team!..........are we looking at perhaps 'Round Table' or 'Rotary Club'.....although I am in business myself, I have no involvement with these organisations.

I also think it unlikely to be Masonic....only because the women are present, and surely wouldn't aprons be worn for a relatively formal photo....I don't know, sorry.

Al.

[Yoz]

Could be the RAOB if they were active back then...I know women were involved in a very small way when my Dad was a Buff.

Although there's no one with formal regalia...I am just thinking along the lines of Grandmaster was allowed his family in the photo maybe.

[indiapaleale]

Paul,

I think it IS colonial

The hedge is definitley not laurel....look at the full shot and the hedge has gaps in it. Also the leaves are quite large and heart shaped....looks tropical to me.

I think the family in the center are the host of the event. The older gent has WHITE shoes and  trousers...not an English thing ...unless in the colonies!

As far as the lapel pins....with crowns on them.... could be a regimental thing???

I think it may be in Australia or New Zealand

AND...I could be all wet!

Cheers,
Indi

[JAP]

My musings for what they are worth (probably zilch!).

To throw in a curved ball, the lapel badges might be irrelevant - especially as only about half the gents are wearing them and also as they seem to differ in appearance.  They could be - for instance - coronation badge/pins if it's 1901 (when Edward VII acceded), or mourning badges/pins (when Edward VII died) if it's 1910.  (No, that's not as silly as it sounds - I have a portrait photo of my children's Gggpa DALTON in Victoria and he's wearing a lapel badge on a ribbon.  It was only when I took a magnifying glass to it hoping to date the photo that I found that the badge says Edward VII, 1901-1910!).

The family group at the front are the hosts and the gent is dressed informally partly because he is at home, and partly because he is a personage of importance and was trying to dress informally in order to make his guests feel comfortable.  The lady with the teddy bear might be part of the family or might be the sole female of the group - and perhaps she's holding the teddy because the little miss at the front refused to stay still for the photo unless the nice lady held her teddy!  (And what does the lad in the sailor suit have - first I thought it was Papa's stick, then perhaps a hobby horse, then perhaps a hockey stick ...)

What is the group and why are they all dolled up in their three piece suits?  Well, perhaps they thought that was the right thing to wear when invited to take tea with an important personage?  Or perhaps they are going straight on to lectures etc where a suit would be appropriate dress.  Or perhaps they are in the locality for a conference or meeting of some sort and they don't have informal gear with them.  Why all male?  Well, perhaps they were in a male-dominated field (of any sort - academic, business, political, club) - which wouldn't be hard to find at that time!

And  ...  I too could be all wet!!

J

[Carmela]

My guess as to date is June 22, 1911, Coronation of King George V. The badges could be coronation medals which were given out on that day(just a guess, as I can't see them well). The clothes are right for that date, as is the teddy bear. The group of men appear to be working-class,
dressed in their "Sunday best"(usual at the time as poorer people did not own "sports' clothes"), whereas the family in front are wearing the more casual clothes of the upper classes, dressed for a picnic. The little boy is wearing a sailor suit,
just like the one worn by the little Prince of Wales. The teddy bear was a rather new toy in 1911. They were first made in 1902 in the US, Germany soon after, then England.
This looks like an English one(said she, wearing her antiques' dealer's hat), so very expensive at the time (and worth a fortune now).

With so little to go on, it's hard to say, but I am inclined to to guess that the family in front are perhaps the owners of a factory, mine or some large business and the men are the employees, being treated to a celebration on the grounds of the employer's house. I imagine that the workers' families would have been there too, but not included in this picture. There may have been several pictures and this happens to be the one with just the men, lined up for a company picture.
 
Anyway, that is my little scenario. It may be wrong in some ways, but I am pretty sure about the social status of the people and the boss and workers idea seemed like the best
explanation. There could be a lot of other reasons for these people being together. Perhaps someone else can build another story on my coronation theory.
 
I see there have been two more posts since I started this reply
and they cover some of the same ground, but my arthritic fingers
are not up to more typing, so I am posting it "as is".
 
Cheers,
Carmela

[JAP]

Carmela,

Glad you posted 'as is' - great minds think alike, eh!

When I started typing, I was about to say that Papa was the mill owner - but then, looking at the photo more and more, I decided that the gents didn't really look like cap-doffing men at t'mill.  They look really comfortable with being where they are and with being photographed.  I have a feeling - based on absolutely nothing - that they might be physicists or newspaper people ....

Well, we shall see - perhaps ...

J

[Carmela]

Hi Jap,
I had not thought of businesses like newspapers.. possible,
but physicists? That one really throws me. Must say I don't follow your line of thought there.
Strangely enough, I had lunch with a physicist today and he did'nt look a bit like the chaps in the photograph.
 

[juddee]

Could they belong to a horse racing club - the gentleman in front with his family has been elected president and the rest of the men are members.  The badges appear to be different types and are the women wearing some sort of insignia over their left breasts?  The younger of the women is perhaps the nanny.
What is in the hand of the man standing behind the older woman - are they binoculars?

Just supposing 

Juddee