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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: Dallashandra on Thursday 16 October 08 16:57 BST (UK)

Title: Photo dating help please
Post by: Dallashandra on Thursday 16 October 08 16:57 BST (UK)
Hi. could someone help me by trying to date this picture please?

I'd also be interested in your opinions as to whether the baby is a boy or girl!

Thanks

D
Title: Re: Photo dating help please
Post by: chinakay on Thursday 16 October 08 17:24 BST (UK)
Hi D...a lovely photo and what a shame it has been so badly treated :-\

Kind of a tough one to date but by lightening it up a bit I can see the lady is wearing a skirt and blouse, so my guess for a date would be about 1900 or so, give or take maybe 3 years or so...just my opinion and you may get others. The baby...well, it's definitely either a boy or a girl, how's that for a pronouncement ;D But I'm guessing it's a boy, no particular reason.

Cheers,
China
Title: Re: Photo dating help please
Post by: Niksmum on Thursday 16 October 08 18:43 BST (UK)
Hi there

One from me

Irene
Title: Re: Photo dating help please
Post by: terry h on Thursday 16 October 08 19:59 BST (UK)
And a tidy from me

Terry
Title: Re: Photo dating help please
Post by: Dallashandra on Thursday 16 October 08 20:13 BST (UK)
Thanks all,

Interesting date - my suspicion is that it was taken about 1902 or 1904, as the young child looks about 1. The elder child would then be his/her step-sister, aged either 9 or 11. I don't know whether the younger child is my grandfather or his sister.

Any other ideas?

D
Title: Re: Photo dating help please
Post by: jim1 on Thursday 16 October 08 20:15 BST (UK)
The card stock looks black outer with gold embossed lettering which was typical of the 1890's.
I have to say her hairstyle looks a bit severe for 1900 and think this is around 1890.
Agree it's a boy though.
jim
Title: Re: Photo dating help please
Post by: chinakay on Thursday 16 October 08 21:36 BST (UK)
Yes, I agree the hair doesn't fit with the date, but the clothing does, and a skirt/blouse combo would be rare for the 90s...easier to be wearing retro hair than future threads :D

D, does an 1890s date fit?

Cheers,
C
Title: Re: Photo dating help please
Post by: Dallashandra on Thursday 16 October 08 22:00 BST (UK)
My logic is that my g-g-grandmother had a daughter, was widowed, remarried then had another family - explaining the gap in the ages of the children. That would put the photo at c 1902. G-g-grandmother would be 29, the older girl 10.

On the 1901 census the family are living near Newport in Shropshire - it looks like Newport on the card to me.

If the photo is early 1890s then I'd be looking at a generation back, but there's no convenient gaps between children ... not sure whether there's any basis in fact for this but it doesn't strike me as likely that a woman would have a photo taken with two randomly chosen children...

D
Title: Re: Photo dating help please
Post by: chinakay on Friday 17 October 08 01:14 BST (UK)
Depends how ugly your own kids are, I suppose... ;D

The 1902 date seems to fit well, then...

Cheers,
China
Title: Re: Photo dating help please
Post by: Dallashandra on Tuesday 11 November 08 11:39 GMT (UK)
Hi, a bit of an update on this one ...

I've had a look at the original which is in the hands of my mum and the board is definitely brown. The photograph itself looks a bit sepia rather than properly black and white (ifyswim).

I was having a bit of a read around and I read that ladies did wear skirts/blouses to look like a dress in the 1890's so I'm wavering on the 1903 date.

Any ideas anyone? There is another possibility for who the people could be - although I'm not sure the photo is early enough. The lady was born 1848, her elder daughter 1873 and her son in  1880.

The only other thing I can think of is to find out about the photographer, unfortunately the edges are torn but it looks like ? Brown and I think the town is probably Newport, Shropshire. Does anyone know how I could find out what photographers were working in Newport and when?

Thanks for any help - this is driving me nuts, Mum's convinced that the baby is her dad but doesn't reckon the woman 'looks like' her Granny. If I could work out when it was it might help to clear it up!