MTFCA Forum

More old cars in new color...............

1905, Henry Ford at the beach.

First, Henry Ford driving his six cylinder racer at speed:



Closeup of the six cylinder racer motor, a plus 1,000 cubic inch six cylinder with his own patent pending ignition system:


Henry Ford, second from the right speaking with other men at the races. The person on the left is Gaston Plaintiff, Ford's New York Branch Manager:


The next two cuts are colorized from national magazines, showing Henry Ford with his racer. In addition, the other two cars shown are a Darracq driven by A. L. Campbell and Fiat with Louis Chevrolet at the wheel (#16):


Below, Henry Ford with the 6 cyl. racer. The touring car in the background of the first pic below is rear of a Ford Model F (we'll see more of it later) with I believe the Darracq in between. They may be preparing for the one mile for competition race. More on that in a bit too:

I didn't realize until I saw these photos colorized, but Gaston Plaintiff (left), Ford N.Y. Branch manager, is leaning in, talking with A. L. Campbell, driving his Darracq. I believe this was Henry Ford's last race for time. He beat Campbell and the Darracq, setting a new One Mile for Competition record. However, the Darracq team filed a complaint, arguing that Ford crossed the start line (most races were from a "flying start," with racers expected to cross the start line at the same time, while building speed). The record was disallowed, and Ford didn't set a world record that day.

I wonder if Plaintiff and Campbell were having words about that race? Either way, they both look intense.


The Ford and Darracq would race two more times that day, with Frank Kulick at the wheel. The Darracq won one race and Ford the other, but no world record.

Below, Louis Chevrolet walking toward his racer (out of the photo to the right). The Ford Model F is seen clearly in the photo, along with two spectators:


Chevrolet aboard his Fiat racer, with the Ford touring car in the background:

Switching gears, a colorized photo of a Detroit Automobile Co. delivery car. This was the first automotive company Henry Ford was affiliated with:


Below, a 1906 Ford "K." Until you read the caption at the end, this is one of those "what" photos:

Ford sent one of their "special" racers to France in 1911. Henri Depasse drove it in the first competitions. He entered the small car (3 liter and less) race at Balougne, but the car was denied entry because it wasn't stock, so would have had to add 400 more pounds. This was the racer just before the races:


The races leading up to the French Gran Prix, which the racer was also entered in, it placed 2nd overall in both 1 km time trials (69 mph) and a half km hill climb:

Photos courtesy of THF, all rights apply.


While practicing over the Grand Prix route the week prior, the racer blew a tire, and careened off one poplar tree, ending against another. Depasse wasn't severely injured, but the mechanician riding with him was killed. Witnesses had clocked the racer traveling at 75-80 mph over the course. Two photos of the wreck exist, one taken the night of the wreck, with a Model T in the background:


Depasse rebuilt the racer and a month later it came in 1st in it's class, and 2nd overall in Europe's most prestigious hill climb, Mont Ventoux. The Ventoux course were almost identical to the later Pikes Peak climb in both distance and grade. The Ford racer averaged about 35 miles an hour on the 13 mile course, losing only to a 120 hp six cylinder racer.

Below, a photo of the car taken just before the summit. You can see the exhaust gases escaping the left side of the hood, from auxiliary exhaust ports in the left side of the block:

In 1912, Ford's French Agent Depasse entered this Ford sedan in the "Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo." The car came in 27th out of 60 cars entered.



Below in 1907, a Ford Model K with Ford Selden Patent attorney's and another car with Selden attorney's accompany the Selden car as it's tested on a track:


Two 1906 Model K and Model N:


Alexander Y. Malcomson, 1908:


A. Y. Malcomson and his daughter in the front seat, driving a 1906 Aerocar:

These are pretty neat Rob.

I just have a curious question since 'color' has always been a part of my profession and hobbies...

Are these being colorized with whatever the software profile is set to? Or, are you adjusting profile to get the primary tone you want (i.e. face) to match? Just curious as both do work...

The reason I ask is simple...especially so on old glass plate negative work.

Our eyes 'see' color yet our brains can only process 'contrast' and the 1000's of shades of gray in a B/W photo has individual grains (think sorta pixels) that is a very unique shade of gray. It is possible then to build software that sez...if I 'see' gray level (say) 212 then software knows by association that is carmine red at 63% saturation...and so forth.

So...with a good contrast from a plate negative source, I would expect the colors in colorization software to be very, very true as the science is there to let that happen. Of course, focus and depth that is off a bit in a print will shift this true color thing a bit, but just like the graphic artist of today who processes artwork for multi-color box print work...if the flesh doesn't really look flesh in the art on the screen or in the first box run...'pull' and 'tug' the color profile through gained experience until it does...the rest usually follows in a 'good enough' way.

Someday I'd like to find the time to play with software like that...pretty cool stuff.....thanks.

George,
This program does it all. I used to use the free link below:

https://demos.algorithmia.com/colorize-photos

It's free and easy, but often not very successful. Then I'd often take the "colorized" photo to a paint app and tweak it. Slow, tedious and not great.

Now, I'm using "MyHeritage," and it seems to get flesh tones and vegetation almost every time. I've been pleasantly surprised when it get paint color and often brass correct. My suspicion was that different levels of gray are how it determines color, but obviously am not very knowledgeable about the process:

https://www.myheritage.com/photo-enhanc ... 271-500395

It's free for two weeks, then $149 for the first year.

It enhances, colors and will animate (although I haven't gone there). Below is a photo showing before and after on the program:

A few more.

Frank Kulick seated on the large Ford Special racer at Algonquin hill climb, 1911. Ford had two racers at the event and the smaller one is parked across the street facing away:


Ford Special racer in Ford Times:


Photo of Frank Kulick at Algonquin Hill climb in 1911. I thought this was a good photo for colorizing an old magazine pic:


Frank Kulick with mechanician or another driver in Milwaukee before a race in 1912. He pulled out of the race just before it started, and did not race again.

Just as a point of clarity.
In the first photo the 3:31 pm post;
"Frank Kulick seated on the large Ford Special racer at Algonquin hill climb, 1911. Ford had two racers at the event and the smaller one is parked across the street facing away::
Note that the obvious car "facing away" is not the other Ford special. In fact, it looks to me like it may have been a National (were they involved in that race event?). The other Ford special is just over the shoulder of Frank Kulick's passenger. Two wheels, one seat, and steering wheel can be seen.

Just me clarifying the comment.
Thanks Rob for some interesting colorizations of already wonderful photos!

Wayne, we mean the same car. I think of it as across the street, pointed the other direction from the racer Frank Kulick is seated in. Sorry I wasn’t clearer. Thanks for your posts,
Rob

I'll find a few more Kulick pics......

Ford Times photo of Frank Kulick seated in the largest Ford Special racer after defeating the Blitzen Benz in a one mile match race in the fall of 1911 at the Michigan State Fairgrounds:


Another from the 1911 Algonquin Hill Climb. Notice how large the "pumpkin" is on the Ford differential. Race stats listed the Fords with 1 1/2 to 1 diff ratios:

Hey there Rob! No worries here. Just in my first half second glance my eye caught the other car and thought "That isn't a Ford?" I knew you wouldn't make such a mistake (me on the other hand?????). So another half second later I realized the car you were referring to was half hidden.

The research you do for these cars is wonderful! I am sure it is very much appreciated by a lot of interested people. Including me.
Thank you.