Sydneysiders lapping up the sun in Hyde Park.
Can you date this photograph?
We have many other undated photographs in Photo Investigator and on our Flickr account. If know the dates or any other interesting facts about these images please let us know.
Category: -- Can you date...?
enno says:
I think the big building there is David Jones. I cannot see any of the tall buildings that you would see now. On the other hand, those women seem to have quite modern clothes.
My guess would be 1960.
Robert Mills says:
Not much to go apart from fashions and DJs building plus sundry vegetation in the park.
By the hairstyle of the girl lying on the ground (centre of image) I have a feeling that this is a 40s era shot – probably post war.
Robyn Horan says:
This is my first post, although I’ve been reading (and enjoying) these dating exercises over the last few months.
I’m thinking it’s the late 40s or early 50s. I’m going on the cars, the baggy pants worn by the men, and the length of the girls’ skirts and dresses. The hemline is right on the knee or just slightly below it.
Legs says:
Looks 1950’s to me. Maybe first half of the 50’s.
Rhonda Cetta-Hoye says:
I’m going with 1948 – 1952
The hairstyles are a longer version of the Page Boy worn during ww2, it used to have a hair net, not applicable here as the hair doesn’t appear to be contained.
The two gentleman on the path are interesting. The one closest to the road appears to have ” Bike Clips ” around the legs of his trousers. The was the norm when men rode pushbikes during the petrol rationing which I believe still occured in the early 50’s.
JennysOldCars says:
The girls hairstyles, especially the roll up one, also suggested very late WW2 or immediate post-war to me. The cars would indicate approx. 1940s, a mix of late 30s and early post-war grills and bonnets just visible.
Over on the State Library NSW site I found 2 photos that I suspect are from the same batch as the one shown here, in fact one photo has the same girl and the chap leaning against the light post from a slightly different angle. The SLNSW dates them as 1947 from the Government Printing Office – http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/item/itemLarge.aspx?itemID=208640
enno says:
I got the bigger version of the photo, and I agree, late 40s, the cars are all old.
Anthea Brown says:
Hi all, thanks for your brains on this one – and hello to first-time commenter, Robyn :-)
1940s seems to be the consensus.
Jenny, that was a great find on the SLNSW site and, in fact, we might be able to date this one as 1947, too.
Rhonda, you have eagle eyes to notice those bicycle clips!
And you’re right, enno, Robert and Legs…Anna gave us a tricky one here.