Can someone please date/restore this picture please of a Milk float

[bailey216]

?? Milk float

?? London

?? Horsham

?? 1860-70s

[Treetotal]

I would have said this was much later...early 1900s would have been my guess.
Carol

[Handypandy]

One from me....

[John915]

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

[McGroger]

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.

[Trishanne]

One from me
Pat

[bailey216]

Thank you all so much for the information and restorations, you lovely people, the picture looks amazing and can see more detail now 😘😘😊😊😊

[Wiggy]

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!   

[John915]

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