Seeing double?

[Bay Horse]

This one is, quite frankly, driving us mad.

It's a photo of Fred, my husband's maternal grandfather, chauffeur to the rich. We both identified him as standing on the left of the picture. But then, the man in uniform standing on the right, leaning on the front of the car, also looks like Fred. The tie is tied the same.

Do you think Fred could have possibly appeared in the same exposure twice?!

 

[Londoner]

And neither of them driving! I think the one on the left is carrying a little more weight. I'm not sure if the top button shows on the one on the right.

 

[Bay Horse]

Thanks @Londoner. The top button was one of our concerns, but the photo is damaged by flecks on the right-hand side, as you can see.

The one on the left appears to be carrying a bit more weight but strangely, not in his face. Chap on the right has his arms raised.

This sounded a really daft question before I posted it, and seems moreso now - but they both look like Fred.

 

[AnnB]

I think it's Fred playing silly wotsits

 

[MollyMay]

I could be wrong, and do not claim to be good at identifying pictures, but dare I say look at Fred 1's ears? (he could be a member of our family with ears like that). Fred 2 appears to have less prominent ones.
Facially they are very alike, brothers perhaps? but, for what it is worth, I think they are 2 different people.

 

[arthurk]

I think it's Fred having a laugh, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's the one in the driver's seat too - you can't see much of him, but he seems to have the same broad chin. You can also just see a bit of a shine on the band round the cap.

I'm not totally sure how it would have been done, though I think I've heard stories of those very long whole-school photos where children started at one end, then ran round the back and appeared at the other end as well.

Wikipedia has led me to a model of camera that looks as though it would do this kind of thing, with a motor turning the camera on a tripod but with a switch so you can turn it on and off:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirkut_(camera)

Other models and methods might be available.

 

[Sandiep]

spooky!

 

[Bay Horse]

Fred didn't have any brothers. He was from Wolverhampton, and the photo was taken in Cheshire. There are other photos of him and the other chap in the car at work - no other look-a-likey on the scene.

 

[Bay Horse]

I think it's Fred having a laugh, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's the one in the driver's seat too - you can't see much of him, but he seems to have the same broad chin. You can also just see a bit of a shine on the band round the cap.

I'm not totally sure how it would have been done, though I think I've heard stories of those very long whole-school photos where children started at one end, then ran round the back and appeared at the other end as well.

Wikipedia has led me to a model of camera that looks as though it would do this kind of thing, with a motor turning the camera on a tripod but with a switch so you can turn it on and off:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirkut_(camera)

Other models and methods might be available.

Arthur, exactly this. We've covered all these points, even the possibility of him being the man in the driving seat too - but I think it's his colleague that has been evident on other snaps. That would have been really clever if he'd jumped into the car as well.

We were working along the lines of it being a run-around like on the old school photos.

Does anyone consider the car to be rather elongated? I may be completely wrong on that one; I don't recognise the vehicle. It's certainly not a Ford Pop.

 

[Bay Horse]

spooky!

Isn't it just?

 

[Bay Horse]

dare I say look at Fred 1's ears?

MM, those are Manning ears! :turns and looks at husband:

 

[Bay Horse]

Look! Look at the car.

 

[arthurk]

There are some similarities to a Wolseley 14 or 18 as seen on this page:

https://gaukmotors.co.uk/motorpedia/car-make/wolseley

Another one - though in all cases the wheels/hubs are different:

https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/30_wolseleypolicecar.htm

 

[Bay Horse]

I think you've got it, @arthurk . Looks like a Wolseley.

 

[arthurk]

I'm not 100% sure about Wolseley, maybe about 80%. I looked for pictures of 1930s cars and this was one of them, but a longer search might produce other possibilities.

 

[Archie's Mum]

Definately both Uncle Fred. The bottom of the left trouser leg, the something dangling from the left hand....
Stretch limo
OK. What I thought was something dangling from the left hand seems to be the back bumper bar. So have a look at where Fred is standing at the front of the car. He has his hand in his pocket but it looks like the bumper bar again just below his knee. He looks like he is wedged between the bonnet and the bar.

 

[Archie's Mum]

I think Fred at front is a cardboard cutout, and possibly Fred the driver.

 

[kernowmaid]

My car-mad OH (who drives me batty during old films, saying "Renault Dauphine"/"Triumph TR4" etc ) immediately said "Wolseley" when he saw your picture.

I thought it was odd to have front doors opening backwards (apparently the proper term is "rear-hinged doors" ) but there are several examples on the Wolseley Owners Club website. I'd go for the Series III (1937-1948), but there are others from 1931. Would those dates fit, BH?

As for Fred ... I'm flummoxed. (I love a uniform - but isn't that the idea? - they all look the same?)

Jane

 

[Chimp]

"rear-hinged doors"

Also known as Suicide doors.

 

[Ma-dotcom]

I think Fred at front is a cardboard cutout, and possibly Fred the driver.