Looking for a Date.

[Colur]

I first posted this photo last week under the heading ‘Whose Funeral Is This?’  and the amount of interest it generated has been amazing.
 
PruM has suggested that I repost it with the prime objective of dating the photo and then trying to fit it in to one of the many possibles that have been suggested here. As it stood the time frame was narrowed down, we thought,  to pre 1925 when the Dublin Metropolitan Police whose uniform appears many times in the photo was amalgamated into the present Garda Siochana force but that theory has been proven incorrect when it was discovered that the DMP, as a condition of their amalgamation, were allowed to retain their very unique uniform and did so until the 1950’s when the last of the 1922 membership retired. So now unless you can define the photo the timeline will once again embrace the years between 1895 and (possibly) 1950 or as the Curator of the museum said the 90? year period in which the uniform was worn
The solution to this query will quite possibly as has been pointed out, lie in the identification of the fashion being worn by the onlookers and by the cars which make up the cortage.
 
I am looking forward to meeting all those of you who have contributed to the original query on this one. You have been fantastic.
 
Fán óg, a cairde.
 
John

[Ermintrude46]

Whilst the police uniforms may have remained the same for 90 years this certainly isn't the case for ladies' fashions  .  Given the number of cloche hats in the picture I would say that it can only have been taken between early 1920s and mid 1930s.
Ermy

[Sinann]

All the other men in the photo seem to have narrow leg trousers but this guy looks a bit like he's home from America with his Bugsy Malone trousers. Anyone know what date the trousers leg got so wide for men.

I don't think the two hats match, the badge's low position and the bright band on our mystery photo compared to the wide black band on the coloured photo plus I don't think the GS badge would reflect light as much as the one in the mystery photo, it could well be metal, but that would put the photo pre 1925 would that fit with the wide trousers?

[Kezlyn]

Colur I thought PrueM suggested you post in the Photograph Restoration and Dating forum, rather than repost here again.

[km1971]

When did Kingstown change back to Dún Laoghaire? It cannot have been many years after the creation of the Free State, and I am sure a photographer would not have kept the old name for very long.

The cars also look more 1920s than 1930s.

Ken

[dublin1850]

Kingstown (previously Dunleary) was named back to Dún Laoghaire again in 1921.

[Colur]

Hi Ermy and thanks for replying.

 Yes I take your point but having spoken to the curator of the Garda Museum who approached the question with a policeman’s logic he told me to tread wearily as he noted the cloche hats were invented in 1908 so he would not rule out the possibility of the photo being pre 1920 when, as you pointed out, the hats became popular.

Unfortunately the Garda Museum did not have a D M P helmet on display Sinann and I posted the photo of the helmet they did have only to better explain the new G S emblem which was to be used in place of the pre Independence U K one. The one shown is actually embroidered on the helmet and I am sorry I did not make that clearer in my post.
I googled in trouser width leg only to discover that wide AND narrow legs were popular in the 1920’s.
When I started out on this quest I investigated a fixed a time line of 1895 to 1940 through newspaper archives etc. The latter date only because my parents married in 1933 and this photo was in the earlier part of their album and included photos of the Papal Nuncio visit in 1932 their wedding and early married life and the baby photos of my four older siblings who were all born pre 1940.

Kezlyn, hopefully PruM will see your comment and move this topic with my apologies if necessary.

Ken and Dublin 1850. this was the first thing that I looked into when the stamp was pointed out to me as it would have seriously reduced the time span for me but it would appear that old habits die hard and although I have not found documentary proof to date  it is claimed that some quarters retained their Kingstown address until well into the ‘40’s. From the 1901 and 1911 census I note that Mr Cook was born in Lancashire and his wife and daughter in Cheshire. Whether this had any bearing on his decision to continue to use the stamp or as was suggested that he might be using up old stocks of paper we might never know unless I can uncover the whereabouts of his photographic collection tomorrow.
It would have been great if the cars had been a later model ruling out the '20's.
I will let you know how I get on tomorrow

[Redroger]

Basing it on the cars visible in the background I suggest 1925-1930.


















Deleted duplicated in error.

[Doddie]

Hi John, I was one of those who became quite fascinated with your query from your previous posting. Towards the end of that I mentioned that I was intrigued by the fact the almost everybody in the procession has hats on. Not what you would expect at a funeral. Wondering if you have any more thoughts on this. I expect you will have many replies to your continuation of this thread. It seems to have caused a great deal of interest.

Regards

Doddie