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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: Relsearcher on Friday 12 February 21 14:05 GMT (UK)
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Hi! I am hoping to try and narrow down the decade in which these photos were taken. I always believed it was the 1950s but a family member thinks the men look more 1930s in their attire. I have looked online at various examples of suits but it hasn't really helped. Perhaps the slight sepia photo itself might be more indicative of one of the decades? Annoyingly, as is the way with a box of inherited photos, there is no writing on the back to tell me who the men are, but I have since found the location of the sundial to be in Suffolk. Many thanks, Nina
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Nice shiny shoes. I would say they look more modern than 1930's but will await more expert opinions.
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The last two look 1930s but not sure of the first one - I notice that he's wearing squared off toes to his shoes.
I'll pop downstairs and see what my books say :)
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Men are always difficult to date as men's fashion didn't alter as much ladies. Here Is one of mine that was dated to early 1930s. Horace is wearing light coloured shoes and his trousers had turnups too. My first impression was that the first one was 1950s as the trouser legs are narrower.
Carol
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Thank you Gadget & Milliepede.
Treetotal - i notice the white shoes as in the beach shot - my 3rd photo - look similar?
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I've checked my limited supply of 20th century books and think that the first one is also 1930s. Oxford pointed toe shoes were in vogue, apparently.
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Thank you Gadget - more ticks for the 1930s box than 1950s! I think all the photos were taken at the same time/on the same holiday - all my family came from and lived in SE London (Bermondsey. Rotherhithe, Deptford, Peckham) and I guess this was a rare holiday to Suffolk. Looks like the same 2 men walking along the beach in photo 3. Wish I knew who they were but once I can settle for sure on the correct decade I will be able to go back through my family tree with that in mind and hopefully draw up a list of who they might be. Nina
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Not easy to tell
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I don't think the first two were taken on the same day ::) Just my opinion.
Carol
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Hi Treetotal - difficult to say isn't it - just wish people wrote on the back of photos!!!
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The toning of the first photo is not 1950s. We had masses of family pics taken in the 1950s and none of them are that colour.
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Do you think it is safe to settle on the 1930s?
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On balance, I would.
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Thank you Gadget!
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Just one other point:
Is the colour of the first photo an actual tone or is is it aging?
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It looks like it is the tone rather than aging ...
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It looks like it is the tone rather than aging ...
So I'll stick with 1930s then :)
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Fab ... thanks for your help and advice, Nina
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Nina - you said you'd found a location for the sundial in Suffolk. Could you tell us where, please? It might help in identifying the beach/prom photo, assuming they were close to each other.
However, the beach photo has some noticeable shadows which help in working out the orientation of the prom, and I'm wondering whether it's quite right for the Suffolk coast.
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Hello Arthurk - the sundial - at the time of the photos, was located in the Lower Arboretum, Christchurch Park, Ipswich. That would be great if you might recognise the beach/prom photo location! I am not familiar with that part of the UK. Many thanks, Nina
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http://www.ipswichsociety.org.uk/newsletter/newsletter-january-2017-issue-206/the-john-blatchly-memorial-armillary-sphere-sundial/
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Hi Japeflakes - that's the one!
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Interestingly, in another piece it says that it was
An armillary sphere sundial, which adorned the rock gardens in the Lower Arboretum up until the 1920s, has now been restored in the great man’s honour by the Friends of Christchurch Park and put back to its rightful place after an absence of nearly 100 years. The Mayor said: “This is a remarkable installation which celebrates the life of a lovely man."
https://www.ipswich.gov.uk/content/tribute-lovely-man
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Hi Gadget - I spoke to the sundial society a while ago and they liaised with 2 experts in this field (David Miller was one of them - who wrote the article in the link below) who both said it was actually in the Lower Arboretum right through the 1920s and 1930s, and at a later date it was moved - the date of moving is not known, but it was moved to the front of the Wolsey Art Gallery until it fell into disrepair, and was restored and unveiled in 2017. David Miller sent me a detailed 16 page booklet on the history of this area and the restoration of the sundial, and a photo of the sundial in situ in 1933 in the Lower Arboretum. It's a shame that the date of the move to the art gallery is not remembered/recorded as this would have helped date the photos to the specific decade. That's why I then went with the suits that the men were wearing as my father always insisted it was the 1950s but the lady at the sundial society felt it was earlier! I'm happy to go with the era you suggested, that the photos are from the 1930s. Many thanks, Nina
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Interesting that one of the men in the third photo is wearing a double breasted jacket. (not too many of them in the 'dating book' - one in the 1930s and one in the 1940s so no help! ;) )
Wiggy
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Hello Arthurk - the sundial - at the time of the photos, was located in the Lower Arboretum, Christchurch Park, Ipswich. That would be great if you might recognise the beach/prom photo location! I am not familiar with that part of the UK. Many thanks, Nina
I'm not familiar with it either, but there may be someone who is. Meanwhile, it looks as though the nearest seaside place to Ipswich is Felixstowe, and there do seem to be similarities between our photo and the promenade there as seen on the Francis Frith site:
https://www.francisfrith.com/felixstowe/photos?search_for=promenade
Felixstowe promenade faces south-east, so I think the shadows in our photos would be feasible for some time during the morning.
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Thank you Arthurk, that certainly looks like a possibility! It’s a shame that so many family photos never have anything written on the back. Nina