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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: jess5athome on Thursday 29 September 16 15:49 BST (UK)

Title: Opinions required please on initials.
Post by: jess5athome on Thursday 29 September 16 15:49 BST (UK)
Hi  :) could I ask your opinions on the initials on the pendant please, I think it could be a "J" and  "L", just after second opinions  :)

Best regards as always
Frank.
Title: Re: Opinions required pleas on initials.
Post by: josey on Thursday 29 September 16 16:00 BST (UK)
I would say 'T', 'I' or 'J'  then 'S'....

Josey
Title: Re: Opinions required pleas on initials.
Post by: Treetotal on Thursday 29 September 16 16:02 BST (UK)
JS is what first jumps out.
Carol
Title: Re: Opinions required please on initials.
Post by: jess5athome on Thursday 29 September 16 16:06 BST (UK)
Hi, thanks Josey and Carol, I can now see the "S"  ::) it does look like J and S the more I look at it.

Frank.
Title: Re: Opinions required please on initials.
Post by: arthurk on Thursday 29 September 16 16:46 BST (UK)
Could it be FS?
Title: Re: Opinions required please on initials.
Post by: Mike in Cumbria on Thursday 29 September 16 16:54 BST (UK)
I see FS.
Title: Re: Opinions required please on initials.
Post by: Gadget on Thursday 29 September 16 19:01 BST (UK)
I don't think it's a J. To me it looks like  either a T or an F. 
Agree re the S .

Some simialr letters here ~ https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/6d/a9/dd/6da9dd45dfb302aefcbd57058fc374fe.jpg
Title: Re: Opinions required please on initials.
Post by: DavidJP on Thursday 29 September 16 20:06 BST (UK)
Hi,

The letters are most definitely J & S.

Most of the swirls are from the S, the top of the S goes back under the S and then under the main stroke of the J before splitting in two. The right hand bit goes round and above the J, whereas the other continues for a short distance before ending. The bottom part of the S swirls under the bottom of the J before returning under the S.

I hope the above makes sense, as I found it a little tricky to describe! ;D

Kind regards

David
Title: Re: Opinions required please on initials.
Post by: jess5athome on Thursday 29 September 16 20:18 BST (UK)
Hi, thank you for all of your replies, I tend to agree with the J and S, after reading all of the posts  :)

Many thanks for the link Gadget, I have added it to my favourites list, I'm sure it will come in handy  ;)

Regards always
Frank.
Title: Re: Opinions required please on initials.
Post by: Gadget on Thursday 29 September 16 20:24 BST (UK)
I've just been rotating the image, Frank, so will put it up  ;D
Still not fully convinced that it is a J.

Title: Re: Opinions required please on initials.
Post by: jess5athome on Thursday 29 September 16 21:31 BST (UK)
Hi Gadget, it's not the neatest thing to look at  ::) but this is where I see the letter J.

Frank  :)
Title: Re: Opinions required please on initials.
Post by: Gadget on Thursday 29 September 16 21:37 BST (UK)
I see that Frank but it's just the little frond that crosses it at half way point - it could be connected to either the S or the first letter.
Title: Re: Opinions required please on initials.
Post by: jess5athome on Thursday 29 September 16 21:50 BST (UK)
I see that Frank but it's just the little frond that crosses it at half way point - it could be connected to either the S or the first letter.


Mmm,  :-\  it's six of one and half a dozen of the other I think  :)

Frank.
Title: Re: Opinions required please on initials.
Post by: Mike in Cumbria on Thursday 29 September 16 22:45 BST (UK)
The letters are most definitely J & S.

No, it's not "most definitely" anything. I still favour F, but it could easily be J or T.
Title: Re: Opinions required please on initials.
Post by: Lucykin on Thursday 29 September 16 22:57 BST (UK)
From ancient memories of being taught joined-up writing at school, I would say a J would have a closed loop at the top. So I think the initials are IS or TS, not JS.
Title: Re: Opinions required please on initials.
Post by: Greensleeves on Thursday 29 September 16 23:17 BST (UK)
I think it's FS - that's the way I write capital Fs, having been forced to learn copperplate in primary school in the Iron Age 1950s.  ;D
Title: Re: Opinions required please on initials.
Post by: Ruskie on Friday 30 September 16 00:01 BST (UK)
My first thought when seeing this was that the letters were FS.

Then I swayed between the first letter being an I or a J as others suggested this. There are stylistic variations in Copperplate and the engraver obviously had to adapt the letters to be decorative and fit within the shape of the locket. I don't think it's an I or a J because there is no tail for the J and there is no large top loop which you normally see on a copperplate I and J.

I am now torn between it being a T or an F. I am not sure if the central flourish is intentionally there to cross the F, or as part of the general decoration.

An example at the bottom of this page (there are thousands of others on the internet):
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01il3/

I think it's FS - that's the way I write capital Fs, having been forced to learn copperplate in primary school in the Iron Age 1950s.  ;D

That's the way I write capital Fs too having taught myself copperplate for fun.  ;D

Is it a family locket Frank, and if so can you identify an FS or TS who may have owned it?