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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: suemog on Saturday 27 October 07 15:04 BST (UK)
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Does anyone have any idea as to why the house is decorated with flags? The photo is of my great grandparents. They were both born in Hackney, London in 1878 and married in 1901. My nan is holding what looks like a floral bouquet and there is also another attached to the fence next to where she is standing. A date estimate would be great. Many Thanks
Sue
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Sue,
They look in their 30s to me but I could be wrong:
I offer a few dates depending on how old they are:
1900 Mafeking - end of Boer war - they would be 20
1901 Edward VII coronation - ditto
1910 George V coronation
I don't think they would be celebrating anything from 1914-18 unless
1918 end of WW1
They would be 40 in 1918 and they don't look it so I offer Georges coronation as the likely suspect.
Opinions please?
Rog
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You have come up with quite a few ideas Rog. Thank you. The most likely would be 1901 Edward VII coronation., because I think they look about 20'ish especially great nan.
They are definately younger than 30's. I have another photo of them with some of their children which must have been taken at least 10 years after this photo, and they do look 30ish.
Thought it might also be possible that it could be for Queen Victoria's Diamond jubilee in 1897! What do you think?
Sue
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Sue,
They were not married in 1897. Granted they both look happy and therefore may not have been married for long (cynic) but he looks older than 20 in your pic.
Rog
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Don't want to throw a spanner in the works but did any of the siblings marry when she was around 20?
The flowers look like those carried by bridesmaids and the bunting could be because they had a "do" afterwards at home.
Are you certain both parties are your great grandparents?
I would say she looks 20 +/- 2 years and he 24 +/- 3 years.
Regards
Andy
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Sue,
I'll throw another spanner iin.
I've just noticed how much ankle the little minx is showing. I don't think that these newfangled mini skirts came in untill about 1910 - I say this to be shot down.
Rog
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Yes they are definately my great grandparents. have a photo of my mum with them when she was about 3 years old (she was born 1927), they look just the same except older and great nan is larger!
I never thought about any weddings. There was one in 1911; my great grandads brother. If it's someone from the other side of the family then I wouldn't know as I haven't been able to trace my great nans parents.
Would they have decorated the front of the house with flags for a family wedding?
Sue.
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Oh right, Rog. I don't know too much about fashion at that time. So we could be looking at 1910!
Sue
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I notice that she has not only the bouquet that she holding , but one behind her shoulder and possibly another hanging on the door.
Maybe she was awarded them for washing the most handkerchieves that day ! ;D ;D ;D
I wonder who the chap is hiding behind the buntings! :o
Jim
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Rog is correct in saying that the hemline would match a date of 1910. Until 1909 hemlines on skirts were worn just over the vamp of the shoes which would leave the toe area exposed, from 1910 the hemline rose to expose the ankle and then after that it steadily rose to be at a level halfway betwix ankle and knee (simular to the midi fashion in the 1970's).
old rowley
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Hi there
Well I had a go at a clean up but.... :-\
Irene
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Hi! I know nothing about fashion :o but would she have worn such a dark coloured dress for her wedding?
As a matter of interest, when did it become customary for brides to wear white?
(I went past a local hotel recently as a bridal party was arriving - all the bridesmaids were in black!) :o :o :o ;D ;D
PS lovely clean-up Irene! Much clearer!
Judy ;)
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Judy,
white as a colour for a brides dress owns its beginings to Queen Victoria as she married in white in 1840. Although there was not a rush for brides to change their coloured fabric for white straight away the trend had been set so to speak. For the history of the wedding dress and the different colours that were worn visit http://www.fromtimespast.com/wedding
remembering that this is a Canadian site and some customs mentioned on the site may differ from the Uk.
old rowley
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Hi Old Rowley
Many thanks for your answer. I'll go and look at the website now!
Judy ;)
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Thanks for cleaning up the photo Irene, you did a really good job!
I don't think it's her wedding dress, and if it was then her husband standing by the door looks a bit scruffy.
Sue
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Not a wedding, I'm sure of it...my guess would be the coronation of George V, really it looks like a victory celebration but I don't think the ages of the people match for 1918 :-\
Prue
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Thank you Prue.Yyes I'm beginning to think that the photo was taken 1910.
From what everyone has said the dress style fits. I'll never know the correct year for sure but that's good enough.
Thank you
sue
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The thing that puzzles me is that the house next door isn't decorated, and if it was a national event like a coronation/celebration surely the whole street would have joined in.
But would they go to all that effort for a wedding?
With the bouquets, however, I think I'd put my money on it being a wedding.
Perhaps the picture was taken during the decorating, before they changed into their glad rags to go to the wedding?
Or perhaps your gt grand's brothers' wedding was a long awaited event! ;D
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How about 1911? The coronation of George V and May was actually June 22, 1911.
...and it takes a Canadian to point this out...ha! ;D
Cheers,
China
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Ah China - I'm not old enough to remember. But you're right.
Rog
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not old enough to remember.
Well!
C
;D
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I was not making any comment on other's ability to remember :-)
For history enthusiasts George V came to throne in 1910 but as China has pointed out the coronation was in 1911.
Rog
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Did anyone notice the other man peeking through the flags on the left? He appears to be wearing a suit...would they have dressed in suits for anything other than a wedding?
Debbie
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I think, Debbie, that the face is an optical illusion, and is in fact the scroll on the iron fence. If it's a face, it's jolly scary - Hallowe'en come early! ;)
I've never seen anything like the flower arrangement worn at the lady's waist. What is that?
meles
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Hi Meles,
No!!! Not the wrought iron work...above that, you can see the lapels of the suit. Unless the jet lag has got to my eyes, I'm sure there's a man there!!!
;D ;D ;D
Debbie
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Debbie, I agree with you. A man in a suit wearing a flat cap.
As to your query about men wearing suits - my dad always wore a suit - even on the beach!!
Judy ;)
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O-o-o-h-h yes! Just a bit of torso! A very trim waist! Could it be a woman?
meles
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This is the strange man I can "see" - seems to be wearing trousers, a tie & a hanky in his breast pocket.
Can see the spooky "face" in the railings beneath him :o :o :o
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PHEW!!! I thought I was seeing things for a moment...even wondered if it was a ghostly apparition!!!
A suit on the beach? Oh well...whatever floats your boat I suppose ;)
I wonder if a woman would've been brave enough to wear a mans suit back then though...but what do I know? LOL!!!
Debbie :)
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Debbie ,
I'm glad that someone else has noticed the guy at the back , I said about him in my posting on saturday :o
Jim
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Debbie ,
I'm glad that someone else has noticed the guy at the back , I said about him in my posting on saturday :o
Jim
Hi Jim,
Oh so you did!! I read all the postings too ;D maybe I'm not so eagle eyed as I thought!
Debbie
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I saw your mention of it Jim, but I couldn't see the man. Now I can, and it's clearer in the original than the tidyup. It's very strange!
cheers,
C