RootsChat.Com
Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: Penny4em on Tuesday 04 August 09 10:51 BST (UK)
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I was wondering if anyone could help with the dating the photograph of the young child. I have a suspicion that the baby may be the same person as the one signed "Yours ever, Elsie" and would welcome your comments.
The "yours ever Elsie" one was taken circa 1918, and was my elusive Grandmother. All I know is that she was illegitimate, and there is no trace of her life before she met my grandfather.
Any help would be very much appreciated.
Oops, just noticed that I can only attach 2 photo's, so will send the other, with the back after,(hopefully)
Thanks
Penny
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I don't think you can compare an 18 month old baby with a grownup but this lovely picture of Elsie looks 1916 ish.Her neckline is a bit daring for any earlier.That would make her about 26 in this.
jim
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Just to keep it all on the same thread.Here's the 1891-2 card.
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Thanks Jim,
Bit of a rookie. I was hoping the first photo was 1996-98, which is when Elsie was supposedly born. However, experience has taught me that I have to take what she said with a huge pinch of salt!!
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The only time he was at all three addresses was 1892,taking into account he may have used old card stock for this you can push it up to 1893 but I wouldn't go any further than that.
I take it you're taking her birth year from her marriage cert.
jim
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If the baby is your grandmother, she was obviously well cared for even if she was illegitimate, so I doubt she came from a poor family.
Lizzie
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Jim,
As she fibbed about everything else on her marriage certificate, i.e. her father was a medical doctor, whereas I have found out that he was a siphon filler and then a milk man, it is entirely possible that her year of birth was also not entirely true!! I will look at earlier records, thanks for that.
Lizzie, I agree with you that she does look well cared for. When I blew the pictures up and put them side by side, the eyes and eyebrows looked remarkably similar, as well as the prominent chin. I wish there was a program which was available to morph one into the other.
Thanks
Penny
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You mean like this.Baby's face fits perfectly.
jim
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Gosh, that's fantastic Jim, I knew there was a link, now all I have to do is find some details about her. She is not in any census, no birth certificate, just the marriage cert. But I feel I am gradually chipping away at her mystery.
Thank you so much.
Penny
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Did her mother marry?She may be under another name.
jim
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I have no idea who her mother was. I suspect that she may have her birth cert in her mothers name. Although she names her father on the marriage cert, I do not think this was him. I do have evidence that she was living with that family in 1917, so I have the right man.
I think she may have changed her surname to his when living with them, in 3 rooms, a family of 11. ( which argues with the photo) There was no formal adoption then, you could just change your name, but she did give my father that surname as his middle name, so there is hope!!
What a tangled web!!
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Penny
I'm not an expert on the clothes - but there are Rootschatters who are - but I'd have thought a milkman or siphon filler would not have had the means to buy such clothes, especially as there were 11 in the family she lived with. I wouldn't be surprised if her birth father was a doctor (perhaps already married) who gave money for her upkeep.
Lizzie
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Hi Lizzie,
The story was that her father was a Doctor and her mother the matron of a nursing home where he worked. This may well be the case. As you say, her clothes are certainly better than one would expect. I may try posting this on another forum.
Thank you for helping me to sort the pictures and confirming what I was thinking.
Penny