Unknown young men.....

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 8:48 pm

I have uploaded a photo to the gallery titled "Unknown young men".
I would be grateful for any ideas about this picture.

http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... p?pos=-725

I do not know who the people are, when it was taken or on what occasion.
Any ideas anyone?
Meg

<image URL added. LesleyB>

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 11:57 pm

Hi Meg

This one is a real puzzler

There is nothing in the background to give even the vaguest hint.

27 young men. All dressed in style and quite good qality clothing.
Fashionable , although one seated on the left seems to be bit of a dandy.
Only a few have buttonholes. All these seem to be different flowers.

All have starched collars, some fly-away, others neat short tab.
A mix of ordinary neckties and bow ties. again nothing looks like a club or organisational tie.
Walking sticks were an optional fashion accessory in the twenties and into the 1930's so no clues there.
They all look to be under 20.
Hard to see their footwear but it is a mix of boots and shoes - lacing brogues so again late 1920's -30's.
They are sitting on the type of bench which you probably remember from your schooldays. So this might link them to some type of academic setting.

My guess is a group of university students probably from the same course and year.
Where? is anybody's guess but in the U.K.
Even their hairstyles give little away.

That's my opinion. Let's see what others think.

Russell

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 12:14 am

Hi Meg
My thoughts were some sort of young men's walking club - I guess it was all the walking sticks which made me think that!

That is quite a tough one, though... I take it there is no photographer's name on the back or any other clues?

Best wishes
Lesley

JimM · Post by **JimM** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 12:40 am

Quite a lot of walking sticks... stout shoes and outdoorsy type clothes

k

Could they be a walking club or ramblers?...... (I have been known to ramble a bit myself)

Jim

Post by **AndrewP** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 1:16 am

Could they be grouse beaters? Would grouse beaters have dressed up with collared shirts and ties?

Just a thought.

All the best,

AndrewP

Thrall · Post by **Thrall** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:07 am

Would grouse beaters not have flat caps? Bit upper classish to be in plus4/8s as is the gentleman sitting on the ground in the front row - but then I have no better suggestion than those already offered!

Good hunting,

Thrall

Post by **SarahND** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:02 am

I would agree with Russell. They are too well groomed to be doing anything physical. The canes are too slim to be serviceable walking sticks. By the ages I would also tend to think it was some university group.
Well, that's my guess,
Sarah

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 10:42 am

Thanks for all those ideas.
I'm afraid there are absolutely no clues on the back of the photo either! As you say it gives nothing away!
If you are right in thinking it's a group of university students I'm even more puzzled - none of my lot reached those dizzy heights in the 20's or 30's!
It's one of those photos I keep returning to, poring over it with magnifying glass in hand and still it yields few clues. Even the buttonholes aren't uniform.
Oh dear...........

But thanks for those thoughts - at least I'm not missing anything obvious!
Meg

Jake Drummond · Post by **Jake Drummond** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:16 pm

Two of the buttonholes look a bit like poppies. Could the lads be injured ex-servicemen, WW1 period, hence the walking sticks? No apparent or obvious injuries though. Hmmmmmm