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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: mystcarrie on Tuesday 07 February 06 17:59 GMT (UK)

Title: Possible date please?
Post by: mystcarrie on Tuesday 07 February 06 17:59 GMT (UK)
This is not the original.   Could someone please enlighten me as to a date of this photo.  The fabric in the ladies dress throws me off.  Also, any hints in the photo would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Possible date please?
Post by: Little Nell on Tuesday 07 February 06 21:11 GMT (UK)
1850s

Certainly very early in photography terms.  She seems to be wearing something approaching a crinoline, dropped shoulders on the dress with slightly fuller sleeves near the wrist,  and his hair style.  I suppose it could be 1860s if she is preserving her wardrobe!  But no later (in my humble opinion).

Nell
Title: Re: Possible date please?
Post by: mystcarrie on Tuesday 07 February 06 21:22 GMT (UK)
Well thank you so much Nell.   Very interesting!.   I have no idea who the photo is, only that it is family.  I'm thinking that perhaps a date may help to indentify.

Any other takers????

Carrie
Title: Re: Possible date please?
Post by: dennford on Tuesday 07 February 06 22:53 GMT (UK)
     A couple of these have been posted recently, so I'd say 1850-60. I wont say more because I know that when Prue sees it she will be able to give you  some usefull info'. Plus, I wont feel a fool if I get things wrong.

                            Denn
Title: Re: Possible date please?
Post by: PrueM on Tuesday 07 February 06 23:17 GMT (UK)
 ;D ;D ;D
Denn you're a dag  ;D You can say what you want, you're usually right anyway!  :)

Carrie, it looks like a "wet collodion positive on glass", sometimes known as an ambrotype.  We had a discussion about them here: http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,124597.0.html not long ago.

It probably dates from the 1850s-early 1860s...I'll have a better look at the clothes and get back to you if I can narrow it down a bit more!

Cheers
Prue
Title: Re: Possible date please?
Post by: PrueM on Tuesday 07 February 06 23:18 GMT (UK)
P.S. It's almost definitely a wedding photograph - look at the way the lady is showing off her wedding ring, and it's been picked out in gold paint too.
Title: Re: Possible date please?
Post by: mystcarrie on Wednesday 08 February 06 11:45 GMT (UK)
Thanks guys for the useful information.  We perhaps narrowed it down to a wedding photo mid 1800's. I was thinking the fabric in the ladies dress rather odd for that time period.  Would there be any hints in the fashion as to the country of origin?.   :-\
I'm looking forward to what you might come up with Prue.

Carrie
Title: Re: Possible date please?
Post by: PrueM on Wednesday 08 February 06 20:07 GMT (UK)
Hi Carrie,
This is a difficult one.  Usually you can rely on the ladies to be the most up to date with their fashions, but in this case she's wearing a most unusual one-piece dress, apparently with no corset and no big petticoats or skirt frame.  I think I can use the man's appearance though - full facial hair and the stiff little bow tie point to a late 1850s date.
I think I need to look at it some more to be more definite.
Do you know where it is probably from? 
Prue
Title: Re: Possible date please?
Post by: old rowley on Wednesday 08 February 06 20:35 GMT (UK)
probably totally wrong but it puts me in mind of mid 1800's America photographs for some reason they have a more "relaxed" formallity about them.


old rowely
Title: Re: Possible date please?
Post by: PrueM on Wednesday 08 February 06 20:41 GMT (UK)
That's kind of what I was thinking, rowley - I notice carrie is from Canada so we could be right  :D

Prue
Title: Re: Possible date please?
Post by: mystcarrie on Thursday 09 February 06 15:14 GMT (UK)
Yes you two are quite right.  I am in Canada and would presume the photo was either taken in here or in England. 

Thanks guys for all your help.