Chronophoto - Spoiler/discussion thread

[Delatron]

Don’t open this thread until you’ve guessed for the day!

Not great from me today. A couple of the outfits in the first one (on the ladies) looked older decades than the photo was. Should have focused more on the men!

I was really surprised at the first one, I also had it as much older, I couldn’t imagine people dressed that formally for dinner that recently in NY.
I also got thrown by the house party one, as I thought branded cigarettes disappeared longer ago, smoking culture has changed so rapidly!

Yes I felt the same about the first one!

And I used the cigarettes and boot leg jeans to date the house party as late 90s so was surprised it was 2005. Though on closer inspection the fashions probably are about right. Definitely thrown by the fags!

That was a really hard one. The second picture could have been any time really!

Yes second one was difficult, I thought guessing a date in one of the wars was most probable and wasn’t too far off.

I nearly got caught by the first one as I thought it might have been just after the opening, but went a bit nearer the destruction date, and at least didn't get the big red X. And felt sad. From things some family members said afterwards, it was a place people used to get gussied up for - they wanted it to be special and memorable. Not in the way it is now, obv.

I've seen the British Bulldog doing its bit for the war effort before - I think it was a deliberate choice to have a dog that looked like Churchill.

Who was that bloke yesterday who looked like Hitler?

PS, Thank you very much @Delatron for starting the thread.

@DeanElderberry where was the first one? Was it twin towers? I didn’t recognise it particularly other than being in New York.

Yes, Windows on the World restaurant at the top of the north tower.

www.thevintagenews.com/2024/01/22/windows-on-the-world/

Ah you’re welcome @DeanElderberry it’s good to chat about the stories behind each photo. And I’m learning from others.

Not sure who the bloke was who looked like Hitler yesterday
. You did well to spot an armband. I think wasn’t too far off the date but not sure what was happening in the photo.

I wondered if it was Oswald Moseley in that pucture?

Photo three today.
Usual before or after the war question? I was wrong today.
I often struggle with 1910/1920 or 1938/1948 type scenarios. There was a picture a few weeks ago of a wedding that was very similar to a picture of my parents' wedding. Date of the photo was late thirties, my parents married just after ww2...

Photo three I have got wrong before, remember being wrong before, but still couldn't bring myself to go for post war. It looks very very posed - not of those boys are actually doing the things.

I rather think I got picture one wrong before as well. Fooled myself by remembering when I would have worn horrid tights like that to school and ignored the teacher's skirt.

I struggle with the 20s - I often go for later. Was trying to work out what the haircuts would be for boys in those eras.

One of those days today where I was about 7 years (or more out for most of them).

Yesterday, the pic with the chap in his car I thought looked like Phil Lynott without a moustache. Only ever seen him in one picture without a moustache, he would've been younger

I feel like I should have done better today.

Completely wrong war for the last one but have since googled and learnt something.

I noticed a number plate on the Oxford street pic but was 10 years out! Confused by picture 5, what is the story there?

Having dithered between 'is it this war? or that war?' or that other war?' I remembered that we were taught about a Sino-Japanese war when I was in school and went with what I thought was the date for that.

Partly the quality of the photograph, the style of uniform, the flags - also luck.

The other 1930s war that can be confusing is the Spanish one.

If there is a visible dated number on a taxi - but otherwise not much other evidence I can spot - I usually add about five years to the taxi's age. They are fairly long lived vehicles.

I guessed too early on the London photo - I said late 90s as I saw the phone box that looked in use but clearly that didn’t help! And a car looked a bit dated.

Don’t remember doing the Sino- Japanese war at school so I’ve learnt something today.

I was ten years out on the London one - it didn't have many clues.

Photo number 2 today?

I was way out - those cars and outfits looked like they were from the 80s. I know certain countries fashions and cars are a bit behind but but fail from me!

I agree with you - for a while I was wondering about 1970s Iran, But something about floppy unstructured dresses, lots of people carrying shopping bags, and the jacket and jeans of the man on the left got me a bit nearer. Anyone know that the country was?

Did everyone zoom in and get the date on the sign on the lamp-post in the middle of picture three?

Did everyone zoom in and get the date on the sign on the lamp-post in the middle of picture three?
No - good spot. I remembered when Chicken Run came out so got the date from that.

I did get the lampost!

I think with picture 2 I got too fixated on one man’s outfit and afterwards thought the floppy dresses were a bit older. The cars threw me too.

Tell you what I loved yesterday, the patriotic thanksgiving turkey float from the children's Bicentennial parade - hooray for the days when such things were home-crafted with paper, string and glue, not ordered online from China.