People and Old Cars - Page 2.
There are many hundreds of vintage-era photographs in this section of OCC now. In most, the vehicle(s) in view have been identified, enabling them to be posted onto the relevant make/model pages. Some though feature car owners and occupants, in preference to the vehicles they actually owned, often rendering the latter beyond reasonable identification. So while many of the cars' details are hidden, often by families posing for a snapshot, the images remain of interest to anyone who enjoys studying these early views. Different fashions, from more than one country, spread across the years between the 1920s and the 1960s, may be found in the photos that feature in this section, along with tantalising glimpses of the cars that the people shown travelled in that day.
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This page continues on from People and Old Cars Page 1, and is proceeded by People and Old Cars Page 3.
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1. One man and his dog.
Just one word is written on the reverse of this photograph - "Jack". Is Jack the chap behind the wheel of this vintage open-top motor-car? Or is it the name of his dog, who stares out from the passenger seat? What is the car? And what is the thing mounted on a pole, that can be seen stood in the car, leant against the nearside of the bulkhead - a lamp perhaps? These are just a few questions that spring to mind after poring over this ancient photograph. A moment in time, captured on film, that meant everything to somebody 90 or so years ago, but survives now as an anonymous glance back to a very different era.
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I'd date the car to the early 1920s. Note the very shallow passenger door, presumably designed to help with the coachwork's strength and rigidity.
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2. Children in South Carolina, USA.
Across the Atlantic to photograph number 2. Here, five children are posed with a vintage-era American car. The photo was printed by the Lollar studio, in Columbia, South Carolina. The names of the five children are scrawled onto the reverse of the print, the first three being members of the Branning family. The surname of the other two is illegible. The clothing of the kids sat on the car's running board is typical of that seen in pictures from the USA that date to the 1920s/1930s.
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3. Bournemouth in the 1930s.
Closer to home now, and a line-up of 1930s' parked cars. Three smartly-dressed ladies are shown perched upon a large saloon, accompanied by a gent clutching onto a box camera. Usefully, there are notes on the rear of this photo which confirm both the location (Bournemouth seafront), and the date (Easter, 1938). The car sports a set of smart "Ace" wheel discs, and large, well-polished, centre hubcaps.
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The people shown are all dressed in their best bib and tucker, as befitted a day out to the seaside. No baggy T-shirts, sports vests, or other equally unappealing apparel in evidence here - that would come in decades to come.
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The car in the foreground reminds me of a pre-war Sunbeam Talbot, possibly a Ten, while third car back is a four-door Ford Model Y.
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4. A girl and a vintage saloon.
"Meta March" is scribbled onto the rear of this American photograph - could that be the name of the teenage girl, stood alongside a two-door saloon? She isn't really dressed for the chilly weather, note the snow on the ground, and the chains fitted to the rear tyre. The car looks like an early twenties' model, the wheels incorporate wooden spokes and removable rims, typical of the era.
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5. Sports day.
The following scene dates to 1931, and sees a number of cars parked up while their owners spectate, and take part in, a sports day. The word "Lydgatestouse" has also been jotted onto the reverse of this shot. The pavilion in the background is also of interest, but where was this taken?
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6. Faded memories.
Photograph six isn't the best from a technical point of view, but sees a group of seven adults posed with their car. Various styles of dress and headgear are in evidence here. The front of another car has sneaked into view on the left - but what is it, a Standard perhaps?
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7. WW2 Opel Blitz lorry.
Other than the name Else, no other information accompanies this photograph of a lady and the lorry she stands in front of. Clearly it's a wartime image, printed on Agfa-Lupex paper. Note the wartime headlamp masks, fitted to what is a 4x2 3-ton Opel Blitz - perhaps a troop carrier.
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8. A large group of people, outside a Gasthous in 1934.
Remaining in Germany, and a photograph that dates to 10th June 1934 of a scene outside a "Gasthaus", or inn. A large group of people accompany a small dropside lorry, and a car (or taxi) fitted with landaulet coachwork. The "1A" registration suggests that the vehicle hails from Berlin.
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9. From 1934 to 1960.
Much more recent is this photograph, which has a development date of October 1960 and was bought from America. A gent (Doug) and his lady are sat in front of several cars of the 1950s. The car in the middle is a circa 1953 Pontiac, while to the left is a 1956 Mercury.
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More photos will be added in due course.
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Return to Page 18 in the classic & vintage car photo gallery.
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