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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: somersethouse on Thursday 20 September 12 21:52 BST (UK)
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Hi All
I suspect that these two photos are of the same person (my great grandfather's younger brother). He was born in 1887 and the photo on the left was taken in c1903 and the one on the right in c1920.
I'd just be interested to know if there is anything that points to it being (or not being) the same person. I am certain of the younger photo (without any doubt) but I don't have any other photos of him as an older man to compare the photo on the right with.
Any help would be appreciated!
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You can usually see matches by the ears.
I think that the man on the right has ears where the lobes go straight into the side of the head (if you understand what I mean), whilst the boy on the left has lobes.
And, in addition, the hair partings are on different sides, and I think that men generally choose the most comfortable side, and then stick to it - don't they?
So in my view, not the same person.
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I wondered about the parting as well and then thought perhaps the photos may have been reversed but confess to thinking they are not the same bloke although I do see some similarity in the shape of the face and the chin line The younger blokes eyebrows also appear to be lower and less arched also darker and his eyes more hooded
Cheers
Maureen
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And having another look, the eyes of the man on the right show a little of the eye lid. They are fairly wideopen eyes.
Whereas the boy on the left has more "hooded" eyes, where you can't see the eyelid, just the space between the eye and the brow.
Sorry Maureen, just read your second paragraph again - snap! re the eye comment
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I agree with what Igor and Maureen have said, especially regarding the hair and eyes - also, the bridge of their noses are different.
Mind you, the older one has a slightly quizzical expression - this would alter the shape of his eyebrows and the line of the bridge above his nose ?
Pels.
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I think that the shape of the eyebrows indicate that these are not the same person, also I agree that the younger man has more hooded eyes. What settles it for me that these are different men is the lack of ear lobes in the older man.
Maggie :)
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Thanks very much for all of your replies and help! You have certainly cast some doubt. I also wondered about the ears but thought that perhaps there was a lobe hiding (being slightly obscured by the jawline) on the left hand ear (as you are looking at it) of the older man. There seems to be a lobe on the right hand ear (again as you are looking at it) of the older man (i.e. more of a lobe than is visible on the right hand ear of the younger chap). I just wonder if the angle of the head might be changing what is visible of the lobes (???). We don't get such a clear view of the older man's ears as we do of the younger mans ear (left had side as you are looking at it). With regards the parting, I would also have thought men would have stuck with one particular side but this has proved to be incorrect when looking through known family photos of mine (my own great grandfather had a parting on one side into his early twenties and then changed it to the other side in slightly later photos). And I wondered if the expression might be changing the appearance of the eyes\eyebrows (???). The photo of the older man came down to us from my great grandfather so I am sure there is a link to him - I just wish I knew for certain who it was!
I'll keep researching this and am trying to get in touch with the younger man's descendants. With any luck, they may have more photos of him.
Thanks again for the helpful replies!
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I wouldn't discount them being the same person for all the reasons you point out..the different angles of the pose do confuse but the tops of the ears are the same as is the bridge of the nose..I too have photos of the same person with a different parting at different ages.
I think there are more similarities than there are differences...just my opinion.
Carol
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Thanks for your insight Carol - I also don't see anything that makes me confidently rule him out as a possible match. The older man has a familiar 'family' look to me (when compared to other members of the family). I just wish I had come across the photo earlier and had asked my grandparents who it was while I still had the chance!