questions about photo

Drew B. · May 24, 2007

I'm looking for anyone (probably older types) to carefully look over this image and with all the potential clues, come up with a date (approx year) of exposure and country of origin.View attachment 7677

Pinholemaster · May 24, 2007

I have no real clue. The car in the background, which I do not recognize, is the best clue. But the overall feel of the image reminds me of my family images from the 1920s and early 30s. Perhaps the automobile experts will hone in on the car.

Gay Larson · May 24, 2007

I also think 1920's by the gentlemen's suits and the children's clothing. It could be any number of countries including the USA. The fence in the backgroung looks very American. Interesting though.

Curt · May 25, 2007

France, '30's. The outside scupper to the right and the window to the left.

markbb · May 25, 2007

I'm not sure, but the bloke holding the baby has got a weird right hand.

roteague · May 25, 2007

Curt said:
France, '30's. The outside scupper to the right and the window to the left.

I was thinking 1930s Germany, but that would just be a wild guess on my part. But, it looks like you picked up the hints right away.

copake_ham · May 25, 2007

I'm close to where Robert is - certainly as to Europe. But I'm thinking Holland, Belgium or northern France. What strikes me are both the car (which makes me think France) and the "bowed" window (which puts me nearer to Holland or other more northern climes).

How about the BeNeLux plus France as a wild guess?

Drew B. · May 25, 2007

ok, first of all, I don't have the answer! I'm trying to find this stuff out as they are my relatives including the little boy with the hammer...who happens to look exactly like me at that age. I sent this image to an automobile expert in London who promply told me the steering wheel was on the left and therefore an american image. The next clues are the popped out screen hood over the window and the dress of the older man. I'm guessing 1920s or 30's but I need an american car expert to tell me about the vehicle. Thanks so far...

Sirius Glass · May 25, 2007

Can you get a more detailed blow up of the patch/decoration on the shirt of the boy on the left? It may have some lettering on it which could indicate language.

Steve

removed account4 · May 25, 2007

drew

i have seen window screens like that from the 20s/30s ...
the car, while it has the steering wheel on the left, could have been
european - not just from the states.
it looks kind of like an old touring car ( convertible )
its hard to ID something like that just from the rear-quarer
but it has the "feeling" of one of these cars:

Dead Link Removed

you could get a better idea of the window treatments by contacting
a restoration place like http://www.architecturaliron.com/ .
if you send them a copy of the photo, they can ask around seeing that they
make repros of this sort of thing ...

the brickwark behind = flemish bond+downspouts are all bronze and look
typ. 1920s ...

good luck!

john

Drew B. · May 25, 2007

I'm going to rescan just the auto at a very large dpi setting and maybe send it off to a US auto expert/historian to see what he/she says. thanks for the websites...

Derek Lofgreen · May 25, 2007

My guess on the time frame would be sometime during the depression. The car looks to be parked for a while on the side of the house but it doesn't seem to be an antique due to the clothing etc. of the people in the photo. I would assume this car was parked due to the expense to maintain and it becoming a non necessity. I would guess the car was sitting for about 1-2 years. the top is still in okay shape but there is some growth around the car. My guess at the year of the photo take would be 1931 if it was in the US.

D.

pentaxuser · May 25, 2007

Drew. I have pics of my wife's uncles( UK late 30's) with similar hairstyle to the man holding the baby. His specs and double breasted jacket and hairstyle give him a Glen Millar look. So maybe 1940's

I am thinking also of the young librarian in "China Town"of Jack Nicholson/ Fay Dunaway fame which I think was set in the late 30's/early 40s.

As a baby I looked similar to this baby in clothes style.I was born '46 and as baby clothes in '46 probably changed little from a few years before, it all points to late 30's/early 40's

I feel we can rule out the 1920s or even early 30's. The older gent has what appears to be a very broad but short tie which is gaudily painted. This should help date it as well. It ressembles what we in the U.K. later referred to as a Spiv's tie. Popular with musical hall type comedians like Max Millar and Tommy Trinder and the "Spiv" reference was to black marketeers during rationing during WWII. The style of tie persisted through the 40's.

All in all, I think it strongly points to the late 30s/ early 40's but more likely the early 40s. I know my references are to the U.K but the two countries mirrored each other to a large extent.

Let us know what transpires. I like these kind of puzzles

pentaxuser

Gary Holliday · May 27, 2007

It is difficult the place the country as there was so much emmigration to America during WWII. The young chap looks German/ Belgian to me.

Drew B. · Jun 4, 2007

I've researched the auto and it is similar to two american vehicles - a 31-32 Chevrolet model and a similarly aged Buick. I agree, this vehicle might have been sitting there for...5-10 years? These people, I'm sure, are Scots-American and I would say the male standing on the right would be about my father's age...so maybe the kids are my generation but 10-15 years older than me. (my parents were in their mid to late 30s when I was born) I have to go to Providence next week to the state archives for research and see if the names found on the rear of the photo can be found there. I'll keep you informed....

removed account4 · Jun 4, 2007

Drew B. said:
I've researched the auto and it is similar to two american vehicles - a 31-32 Chevrolet model and a similarly aged Buick. I agree, this vehicle might have been sitting there for...5-10 years? These people, I'm sure, are Scots-American and I would say the male standing on the right would be about my father's age...so maybe the kids are my generation but 10-15 years older than me. (my parents were in their mid to late 30s when I was born) I have to go to Providence next week to the state archives for research and see if the names found on the rear of the photo can be found there. I'll keep you informed....

drew

have you checked out ancestery.com ?
they have census records, and web-links to
other geneological archives like the morman church.
pretty much an geneologist's dream

at the ri historical society library, they have transcriptions
of all the grave markers voter registrations records, street directories &C
to help you in that department ...
but ancestory.com is free and easy and might some more information and
save you some $ and a drive.
--
good luck!
john

Drew B. · Jun 4, 2007

Been there...done that. That site is free up to a point... and been to the morman family research site(s) in Foxboro and Harwich and have gotten a ways but its now time to motor on down to the city and let my fingers do the walking!

Gay Larson · Jun 4, 2007

good luck Drew. Now I'm as interested in your family as you are. Keep us informed.

Curt · Jun 4, 2007

There are people who have extensive hammer collections also, even though a long shot, details all add up. The clothes, width of ties and styles, including eyeglass styles are of a period.

panastasia · Aug 17, 2007

Drew B. said:
I've researched the auto and it is similar to two american vehicles - a 31-32 Chevrolet model and a similarly aged Buick. I agree, this vehicle might have been sitting there for...5-10 years? These people, I'm sure, are Scots-American and I would say the male standing on the right would be about my father's age...so maybe the kids are my generation but 10-15 years older than me. (my parents were in their mid to late 30s when I was born) I have to go to Providence next week to the state archives for research and see if the names found on the rear of the photo can be found there. I'll keep you informed....

Drew,

The auto looks like a 32 model. I have a photo of my father wearing the same, or very similar, clothes as the man standing with child and the hair style is identical. He was born in 1910 and looked about 30 years old in the photo. My guess is 1940, give or take a year.

Regards,
Paul

TheFlyingCamera · Aug 17, 2007

I just thought of a good resource for you about dating the car (the most likely way to place the photo in time) - Harrah's automobile collection. They maintain a MASSIVE library which covers just about every known make and model of car ever produced, and has documentation of every car in the collection that they've restored, throughout the restoration process. Contact them through their website- http://www.automuseum.org/ . I can say definitively that the photo was taken a number of years after the car was made (probably at least five to ten years) due to the condition of the convertible top. Whatever the car is, it was a pretty nice car because of the S-irons on the sides of the convertible top- those were luxury touches. If it is an American car, it is probably something like a Buick, Olds, Caddy, Lincoln, maybe a Packard or Chrysler. Not later than 1932 or 1933. Most likely late 1920s. I'd email the photo to the Harrah's research librarians and see what they can come up with.

Will S · Aug 17, 2007

Looks like a 1934 Traction Avant Citroen to me. Hard to tell though. See http://eurocitro.chez-alice.fr/12ICCCR.html That style of back window looks very Citroenish to me though.

Good luck,

Will

tommy5c · Aug 19, 2007

i think the photo is mid 40's. i think the car is a clue but misleading because it is parked beside the house and overgrown. the spare wheel is on the right hand side of the car, and still rather narrow making me think its a late 20's early 30's model. it matches hair styles I've seen in my family photos from the 40's also with the slicked hair. but that also could be misleading. i think the suite style is your best bet along with the clothing style of the little boy on the bench might help.

TheFlyingCamera · Aug 19, 2007

Tommy's probably right- the clothes will give you the most accurate timeframe, but given the probable timeframe, they may not be much more accurate than the car. If the photo was taken during the Great Depression, the clothes could be as much as ten years old (although these don't look it). The kids fashions should be the best guide because their clothes can't be more than a year or two old, but I don't know how much kids fashions changed in the 1920s to 1940s. Especially boys' clothes.

MarkS · Aug 21, 2007

I'l guess 1939. and call the car a 1928-31 Ford Model A Cabriolet (from the landau irons on the convertible top). The Model A would imply the USA.

questions about photo

Drew B.

Pinholemaster

Gay Larson

Curt

markbb

roteague

copake_ham

Drew B.

Sirius Glass

removed account4

Drew B.

Derek Lofgreen

pentaxuser

Gary Holliday

Drew B.

removed account4

Drew B.

Gay Larson

Curt

panastasia

TheFlyingCamera

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Will S

tommy5c

TheFlyingCamera

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MarkS

questions about photo

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