Body shop in 1920 - Interesting photo

[Scream And Fly]

Check out this photo, dated 1920. Notice how one guy appears to be preparing to spraying paint while two others work beside him on other cars. Click on image for even larger view.

[1BadAction]

Looks like the guy on the left is taking the masking material off, and the guy on the right is prepping the car for paint. The guy in the middle must be testing the gun or something because the car is no where near ready to spray. None of them in masks or gloves, and a fine mist of black lacquer (was it even lacquer then?) hanging in the air. LOL.

Where the heck did you get that picture? Very odd find. Should make an interesting desktop at work though.

[tux974]

Very cool photo Greg
I think back then having a good gloss finish was not important, they just wanted to get paint on the metal so it would not corrode

The painter is even spraying without masking, he was good

No wonder why people died early from lung cancer

[transomstand]

Probably shootin that state of the art, new fangled nitrocellulose lacquer

OSHA would love that place

[RNM018]

Pre EPA for sure . Looks like how we work out in the yard ,around here . Jim , Yes it was lacquer back them , but that's not the best part . No plastic fillers where around back in those days . All repairs where done in Lead .

Rich Martin 018

[mackeral5]

cool pic. back in they days when they knew how to WORK metal.

thanks for sharing.

[specboatops]

Back when a hard days work ment something and people actually took pride in what they did.............


Chris

[RONNIE]

the guy sanding was probly using gasoline. Looks like some pics from one of the guys I used to work for of his fathers shop

[Phil's other half...Sue.]

cool pic. back in they days when they knew how to WORK metal.

thanks for sharing.

and when metal was strong! The car parts are bendable now and so cheap. Cool pic Greg...my dad always owned body shops and at one point in his life he worked for Sarafan who repaired military vehicles, my dad used to tell Phil that they would rub their body down with Vaseline so the lead and contaminants couldn't get into their pores... years ago they didn't have protection like they do now. They sprayed out in the open (no booths) now they have downward draft booth's which pulls everything in. Times have sure changed in the body business, try to open a new body business up here now and it's almost an impossibility unless you are in the grandfather clause. I can't believe I just remembered the name of the poison in the clear which destroys the lung "isocyonides"....very cool pic Greg!

[baja200merk]

COOL picture, im suprised no one is smoking

[twogees]

^^^^hahaha

yea very cool . yea very raw working conditions.. like stated only really cared about corrosion protection rather than finish, over-spray or health..

[NVRFASTENUFF]

For a picture taken in 1920 I cant believe how clear is was, most old photos you see are fuzzy. But hey im not a photgrapher. Neat picture!

[RNM018]

Never really gave it any thought , but in this photo he's using a Presure Pot Spray Gun . Where those available in the '20 ? Can anyone ID the cars ,to get a better idea of the year . I'm thinking late '20s early '30s ?

Rich Martin 018

[twogees]

For a picture taken in 1920 I cant believe how clear is was, most old photos you see are fuzzy. But hey im not a photgrapher. Neat picture!

good point i does look pretty detailed and crisp for back then

[Baja16]

cool photo!! i wonder if the pic was restored or something? It must have been nice back in those days cause most cars were painted black... dont have to worry about the paint not matching