[prewarsports]

Those are markings on the side of the negative that showed up in the positive print. Before the 1930's, negatives were made from nitrate which was not only flammable, but would sometimes spontaneously combust (read about what happened to Harold Lloyds house). Many fires were started by nitrate film in the early 20th century. They went away from nitrate and invented "Safety" film in the 1930's because it was no longer flammable. You can date the negative based on the codes on the sides of negatives. The age of the physical print would be dependent on the paper and the type of gelatin used to make it. The white number is a file number used in a newspaper or archive to number the negative. Negative were never stored by subject like photographs were, but in a separate space. You would find the photo you wanted that was a "file copy", see the negative number, then go retrieve the negative if you wanted to make another print. It was written on the font of the negative in black ink (which is why it is white in the positive print).

Rhys