Old photo year discrepancy - 1908?!

[Darin Hull]

An awesome car museum is being built, and should open this year, in Cartersville, GA. They posted this pic and said it was taken in our town in 1908. Museums are about education and there may be an opportunity to help nail down a possible year of this picture a little more accurately as there appear to be later model T’s in the photo.

Anyone have an idea of the model years shown? For example, the black and brass side oil lights would make me think they’re on a 1913 or later. My T knowledge is extremely finite but this forum’s collective knowledge is immense.

Please let me know your thoughts,
Darin

[Kerry]

The radiators have the support bars in them so later than 1908.

[Tourabout]

I would say 1914. The one on the right appears to be a Wide Track.

[Been Here Before]

What else does the photo show?

Is that a paved street or dirt? When was the street paved?

The telephone and over head wires when did that occur in the town?

Those buildings. Does the town have Sanborn insurance maps? If so when were those buildings constructed?

It appears that there are both electric and gas lights on the cars? Why?

[Allan]

Well spotted Robbie. The two lead cars look to have forward folding windscreens, making them typical of 1913 models. The last car on the left still has straight rear mudguards, so not yet a 1915 model, so 1913-14 is the best I can do.

Allan from down under.

[kmatt2]

Is there a local newspaper or library that has a morgue that goes back to 1913-14 ? The building looks like a railroad station and the cars look new, plus the trees have no leaves. I would check for a newspaper story about a shipment of new Fords, dated around fall 1913 to spring 1914. Someone took the picture of all these cars because it was a special event for the town, I assume that the local paper would have covered the event also. The Fords look to be from the late 1913 to 1914 period. Good luck in gaining more info.

[ewdysar]

The fenders have no bills, so that puts them as mid-14 or earlier. To my eye, the windshield supports have a bend at the bottom to clear the rear folding windshield of the ‘14 model year. The electric looking lights on the front car to the left are interesting. If they are indeed Ford electric headlamps, the fork mounted electric lamps weren’t available from Ford until the latter part of 1914, so even as a retrofit, it would push the photo to at least the second half of 1914.

It’s hard to be sure about any of this, given the available resolution of the photo, but it’s fun to debate the details…

Eric

update: upon closer inspection, the headlamps on the front left car do appear to be carbide lamps with chimneys on the body and hinges on the rims (the angle looks to be just right to catch only the reflector)… so given the lack of foliage and the cars, I’ll put my guess between Nov 1913 and April 1914.

[old_charley]

The windshield support rods on the two Ts in front look to me to be bowed out a bit suggesting rear folding windshields making them 1914 model year Fords. They all look fairly new as well. That would mean the photo would have been taken no earlier than late 1913.