Page 1 of 1
Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:53 am
by vherrin
Family tree researcher requests your expert help! The attached photo is either my great grandfather or my great-great grandfather, standing in front of what I think is a Model T. Any further information you can provide about the auto would be very helpful to me. For instance, is it indeed a Model T, and if so, can you estimate what year it was built? Are there any unusual or identifying features about it that you notice? Does it look like it has some miles on it, or do you think it may be relatively new? Anything at all you can share will be much appreciated. I'm guessing this photo was taken in Missouri or Iowa. Thank you so much for your help! You can email me directly at
Victoria.Herrin@gmail.com or answer thru the forum.
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:57 am
by Erik Johnson
The car is a 1923 Model T Ford touring or roadster.
The date the photo was actually taken would be harder to pinpoint. However, if you know the state where it was taken, even a partial view of the license plate as shown in the photo can help determine the year the photo was taken.
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:12 am
by Squirrel
It was a while after 1923....lots of use on that car!
.
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:35 am
by vherrin
That settles it then - it had to be my Great Grandfather if it was after 1923. Thank you both so much!
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 3:37 pm
by Wayne Sheldon
Yes a '23 T. Cars in those days got dirty fast on the unpaved roads they were mostly driven on. But the oily dirt gunk built up on the front hub takes a few years usually. The felt seals "usually" don't leak much for the first couple years (unless they have special grease fitting hub caps on them?). Once they start leaking, it takes a year or two to build up that way.
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:57 pm
by Steve Jelf
With that fender brace added, I expect it got rougher driving than just around town for shopping.
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 12:38 am
by Altair
Looks like a 26 radiator.
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 12:44 am
by Altair
If you guess the photo is about 1930 and the man in the photo is about 80 would place him back to about to 1850??
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 10:26 am
by Steve Jelf
Looks like a 26 radiator.
Looks low to me. No apron means no later than 1923.
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 8:22 pm
by vherrin
Altair wrote: ↑Wed Jun 17, 2020 12:44 am
If you guess the photo is about 1930 and the man in the photo is about 80 would place him back to about to 1850??
Good guess! He was born in December 1846
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 8:42 pm
by George N Lake Ozark
Windshield leads me to believe it's a coupe or sedan, looks straight upend down ,no slant . Looks like a high Radiator Even if it doesn't have an apron. I'm going to say 24/25.
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:01 pm
by Rich Bingham
It is an open car, windshield stanchion bolted to the cowl is typical. Earlier style of radiator shell with integral lower molding was transitional in ‘23. I believe Wayne is right.
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 12:41 am
by TRDxB2
Erik Johnson wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:57 am
The car is a 1923 Model T Ford touring or roadster.
The date the photo was actually taken would be harder to pinpoint. However, if you know the state where it was taken, even a partial view of the license plate as shown in the photo can help determine the year the photo was taken.
Never answered where the picture may have been taken.
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 1:02 am
by Altair
The radiator does look nickel plated.
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 10:20 am
by TRDxB2
Tried to enhance the photo to see the plate - no luck there, but got some detail in the background.
- mystery.jpg (107.67 KiB) Viewed 6197 times
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 11:25 am
by vherrin
TRDxB2 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 18, 2020 12:41 am
Erik Johnson wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:57 am
The car is a 1923 Model T Ford touring or roadster.
The date the photo was actually taken would be harder to pinpoint. However, if you know the state where it was taken, even a partial view of the license plate as shown in the photo can help determine the year the photo was taken.
Never answered where the picture may have been taken.
Almost certain it was Missouri
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 12:37 pm
by jiminbartow
He does look about 80. If he was born in 1846, I would estimate the photo was taken in 1926. Jim Patrick
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 10:24 pm
by TRDxB2
Matching to Missouri plates after 1923 and based on vehicle condition several years later that.
This is the web site with descriptions and some pictures of Missouri plates from that era
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_r ... f_Missouri
So in referencing the picture of the plate below it appears to have white letters & boarder and a starting letter at the base of the plate after the second numeral.
- mystery1.jpg (8.63 KiB) Viewed 6112 times
Based on the description and pictures having white letters & boarder and starting letter under the second numeral. It might by 1925, 1927 or 1929. Other plates with white or light colored letters, having text in the bottom of the plate 1930, 1932-35 after which lettering was placed on the top and/or black lettering and/or the mounting screw sots where changed from oval to round.
I believe the man's hat is a Maciejówka cap (similar to a fiddler's or fisherman's cap) popular in the 1920's - couldn't find any info on coats
Re: Request for expert advice to help date a photo
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 9:16 am
by vherrin
All this information is just amazing! You all should be detectives! Regarding the license plate info, that really narrows it down, doesn't it? My great grandfather died in February 1935, so he lived a very long life. He was born in Iowa but moved to the Neosho, Missouri area shortly after the Civil War. He raised two families and was primarily a farmer, although he spent one term as a county commissioner. He was a well known advocate for better roads. In fact there was a cartoon in the local paper that showed a hat in a large mud puddle. Someone lifted up the hat and it revealed his head. When asked if he needed any help his response was, "No thanks. I'm riding a good mule."