RootsChat.Com

Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: shaun on Thursday 16 May 19 11:12 BST (UK)

Title: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: shaun on Thursday 16 May 19 11:12 BST (UK)
Hello,

We found this photo, amongst some old family pictures, so believe it to be somebody in our family. Although we have no idea who it is. Would somebody be able to help me narrow down a date, and maybe an approx age, so that I might at least be able to work out which generation in my family tree to look at.

thanks

Shaun
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: Treetotal on Thursday 16 May 19 22:36 BST (UK)
Hi Shaun...it looks like it could be early 1900s, could you post the back if you have it please, is it a postcard? She doesn't look to have grey hair so maybe 50s
Carol
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: pimpernel on Friday 17 May 19 09:48 BST (UK)
I agree, the chair is clearly late Victorian, but the simple trim dress suggests the first decades of the 20th century, I'd guess Edwardian era, though it could be even later, I have a photo of my gt-grandmother (probably taken in Birmingham) in an almost identical dress with similar locket etc, which dates from the 1910's or early 1920's.
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: sparrett on Friday 17 May 19 09:53 BST (UK)
I agree that it is well into the 20th century and possibly 1914ish
I also have a family member in similar attire from around that year.

I think she is unmarried and aged in her early to mid fifties.
Sue
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: shaun on Friday 17 May 19 10:33 BST (UK)
Thankyou very much everyone,

So going from these estimations, we could be looking at a birth date 0f around 1870-1880?

this could be great. Because I have a Kate Pearson b.1880 in my tree, She married a Thomas Bristow. And amongst the photo's where we found this picture was a photo that had written, "Old Grandad Bristow" on the back. so we knew that was him. If this photo was in the same collection of belongings, there is a good chance it might be Kate Pearson we are looking at.

The other potential person I thought it could be was born in 1853, so a bit older and less likely.

Carol, I have asked my mum to snap a pic of the back of the photograph and send it to me, so as soon as she has done so, I will add it to see if that gives any more info.

thanks everyone,

Shaun
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: Fresh Fields on Friday 17 May 19 10:36 BST (UK)
Those hands have not had an easy life. Look at the left hand; [in the photo].

Alan.
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: shaun on Friday 17 May 19 10:50 BST (UK)
This family lived on farms the whole time that I have them on census forms. Could tough farm labour work do that to ones hands?

***ADDED***

If it is who I now think it is hahaha  ;D
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: Fresh Fields on Friday 17 May 19 12:35 BST (UK)
Hi Shaun.

If the subject is in their 50's; I'm a gold card farmer who now has had Dupuytrens straightening of fingers on both hands, but they never looked to me, as bad as those two do.

Initially I thought a didgit may have been missing, [hence blow up] which could have narrowed down your search of possible candidates. Now I'm assuming they are just long fingers, where inherited arthritis, may have been the cause of their distress.

Alan.
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: jim1 on Friday 17 May 19 12:55 BST (UK)
I would agree around WW1-early 20's.
So I would suggest someone born around 1860 +/- 5 years.
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: shaun on Friday 17 May 19 13:03 BST (UK)
Hi everyone,

So here is the back of the photograph,

Unfortunately my mum said the little tab thing on the left is stuck down so can't lift it up.
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: a-l on Friday 17 May 19 15:27 BST (UK)
I think it is an Edwardian photo and also think the lady is in her fifties.
I love that chair !
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: Treetotal on Friday 17 May 19 16:01 BST (UK)
I think it is an Edwardian photo and also think the lady is in her fifties.
I love that chair !

I have the same chair and the seat is woven cane, it is late Victorian  :D
Carol
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: Gadget on Friday 17 May 19 16:03 BST (UK)
Agree with Edwardian- pre WW1. The skirt is too long for much later unless she's wearing old clothing.
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: a-l on Friday 17 May 19 16:05 BST (UK)
I think it is an Edwardian photo and also think the lady is in her fifties.
I love that chair !

I have the same chair and the seat is woven cane, it is late Victorian  :D
Carol


You would have you lucky lady  grrr !  ;D
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: shaun on Friday 17 May 19 16:06 BST (UK)
anything to be gained from the back of the photo?
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: Treetotal on Friday 17 May 19 16:57 BST (UK)
Only that it dates to post 1902 when the divided back postcard was introduced in the UK, unfortunately the absence of a stamp box makes it harder to be more precise.
Carol
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: Treetotal on Friday 17 May 19 17:01 BST (UK)
I think it is an Edwardian photo and also think the lady is in her fifties.
I love that chair !

I have the same chair and the seat is woven cane, it is late Victorian  :D
Carol


You would have you lucky lady  grrr !  ;D

When we visited French friends in the South of France some 10 years ago, I saw it in their garage and admired it, they said I could have it as they didn't have room for it. We were able to bring back to the UK in our tourer. My Daughter has her eye on it  ;D

Carol
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: davidgp on Friday 17 May 19 17:04 BST (UK)
Anyone like to comment on the crest and the numbers 772 on her scarf/necktie - police? matron? prison governess? what institution?
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: Fresh Fields on Saturday 18 May 19 04:15 BST (UK)
Hi again.

I tried enlarging them as I did the hands, when looking to see if I thought a didgit was missing.

Unfortunately tho I was able to enlarge them considerably, the definition was so poor I could not be certain as to what the shiny objects were. And if indeed they were numerals. The third may only look different due to the contour of the dress, and the different way the object is reflecting the light.

Likewise the lower object.

Alan.
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: pimpernel on Saturday 18 May 19 10:36 BST (UK)
I agree we're probably looking more at an 1860's birth than 1870's or 80's, not only her hands, the dress itself, and her slightly sunken features suggest to me the top end of her 50's, perhaps in her '60's I'd say. Though it can be hard to be precise if she had a tough outdoor life.
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: Treetotal on Saturday 18 May 19 10:41 BST (UK)
It looks like she doesn't have any teeth which is ageing but her hair isn't going grey and her skin doesn't look too wrinkled, so hard to be sure.
Although it does look like numbers I think it is a bar brooch.
Carol
Title: Re: Help dating photo of mystery woman sat in a chair
Post by: Fresh Fields on Saturday 18 May 19 11:32 BST (UK)
Shaun.

Peoples personal accessories continue to be worn for years so, watches, watch chains, studs, pins, and a range of woman's acessories can often help identify a subject, over a range of photos. And some times even down the generations.

If you have other photos to compare with, it might pay to ask your Mum to rescan the photo at a high resolution and then crop to just the individual accessory, to keep under the posting cap of 500KB. That way we should be able to see more detail, in each acessory, to help the identification process.

In our family case, unfortunately one local history publisher reversed a photo in print, so the photo credit incorrectly named the siblings. Rt to Lt instead of the other way around. As same named cousins were united in marriage, it was hard enough sorting out the individuals in the large familles, without the added complication.

Many extended family since have incorrectly identified the siblings when researching.

The proof of the identity of the subject is Gt Grand Ma's broach that came with her from Scotland to NZ in 1859.

Regards,

Alan.