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Does anyone know this ice breaker location


canalboat

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30 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Originated with the Duke of Wellington from the 1840s. Rubber wellies date from the 1850s, but were popularised in World War 1.

Does that help?

(info from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellington_boot)

 

Someone mentioned the lack of ex army greatcoats suggested it was before WW1 but rubber wellies suggests after the great war..?

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1 hour ago, Neil2 said:

I doubt it.

I reckon the camera capable of taking that picture - it's an action shot, bear in mind, - would not have been around until the 20th Century.

For my money the photo was taken between WW1 and WW2 but it's only an "educated" guess.

BTW one guy seems to be wearing wellies - does anyone know when they became widely available?

If you're talking about the OP photo, I don't think it's an action shot at all. It looks posed to me.

There's a distinct lack of movement happening there, no water splashing about, no ice flying, ooddles of standing around on the towpath and even the lads on board are gazing at the cameraman.

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On 10/17/2017 at 11:51, cuthound said:

Yep, I've been watching that slowly deteriorate since 1992, when I first noticed it. 

Although it must have been there when I first travelled the Coventry in 1973, but I didn't see notice it then.  Perhaps there were more back then?

Gradually more insulators fall off it and the cross bars get more wonky.

Another reminder of the past is the old Great Central Line railway signal, a lonely centinal standing in a field on the North Oxford between Braunston and Hillmorton.

In the late 1950's early 60's there were quite a number of poles on that stretch of cut  & i think there were still some wires although IIRC they diddn't appear to be connected other than between the poles & there were a good # of un used insulators again fadiing memory around 3/4 left on the last trip I made past that stretch which would have been April 72

Edited by X Alan W
  • Greenie 1
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I found this item on the website of the Telegraph Pole Appreciation Society (Yes - it does exist)

"In 1861 the United Kingdom Electric Telegraph Company installed telegraph cables along the entire length of the Shropshire Union canal "

So if the poles were planted along the Coventry at the same time then our photo was taken before the 1860's?

AND a camera that could take that picture was not widely available/used until a few years before that.

The famous early photographer Margaret Cameron did not get her first camera until 1868..................

The thick plottens.................

Edited by canalboat
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