Chauffeur driven to the house of God

In the context of ‘well-well, what have we got here?’ we present you another Friday Lady photograph with no further information whatsoever.

That, on its own, is a real pity as we are quite certain there is a story worth telling behind this one. What do we see? Well, there’s a mighty impressive touring car (double phaeton?) of Edwardian or Brass era vintage in the first place. Surely recognizable by its front suspension / radiator / body style? The registration ‘ZE 463’ may also be a clue to its whereabouts?

Next to and into it are the be-goggled chauffeur and lady passenger. There must have been one more passenger who’d jumped out to set up a camera? Last but not least there’s the backdrop. A large plastered house with little windows. What was so special about that to immortalize it in a picture? A crucifix with mural below it point towards a house of God. The architectural style must be identifiable, too? Questions, questions…

Words by Jeroen Booij. Picture from the archive.

Published:

Friday April 16th, 2021

Daniel Tommasi Kliwitzky

20 April 2021, 19:41

The style of architecture is very Austrian or south German. Or even more so South Tirolean which at the time wasn’t Italy yet but geographically east to reach by an Italian car. The are no ZE number plates in Italy in that period though. It could of course be a car from a neighbouring Adriatic country or from another country in Alpine proximity?

Hergen Deuter

18 April 2021, 12:36

Yes, I agree with Michael, most likely this seems to be a Mercedes 55 HP (1907-09) or a Mercedes 65 HP (1908-1909).
I would consider it a farewell photo, even if the dominance of the chauffeur looks a bit unusual. The building could be an outbuilding of a noble estate, crucifixes really were not uncommon in Catholic areas.
The license plate, however, is puzzling: There were no ZE registrations in Austria-Hungary either.

Jeroen Booij

20 April 2021, 12:33

Could it be Belgian..?

Anke Rückwarth

16 April 2021, 18:01

If it is a Mercedes - which I also believe - the chassis cannot be younger than 1906, as a different shape of the radiator was used after that. I think the body could also be from 1906: no front doors, straight wooden bulkhead.

Michael Schlenger

16 April 2021, 11:48

To me, the car looks like a chain-drive Daimler "Mercedes" from c. 1907/08, potentially a 55hp four-cylinder type. The registration isn't German, but it could be an early Austrian one. The building in the background could belong to a monastery or an estate, but it's no church. A crucifix with a mural and/or an inscription was quite common in the German-speaking world also on secular buildings. My impression is that this photo was taken somewhere in the Austro-Hungarian empire.

Jiří Schwarz

16 April 2021, 10:01

In my opinion, we are in Germany in front of a church late Renaissance parish built before 1600 and the car is a large Mercedes Roi de Belgé circa 1910.
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Podle mého názoru jsme v Německu před církevní pozdněrenesanční farou postavenou už před rokem 1600 a automobil je velký Mercedes Roi de Belgé cca 1910.

Chauffeur driven to the house of God

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