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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: Les de B on Saturday 26 March 22 12:17 GMT (UK)

Title: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: Les de B on Saturday 26 March 22 12:17 GMT (UK)
I'm trying to work out whether the lady in this photo is the mother or the sister of the two boys. The back of the photo is captioned "Robert Smith" and "Claud Smith" - they being brothers born 1882 and 1887 respectively. The other name is "Harriet Smith" which could be their mother b.1851, or sister b.1877.

Looking at the boys and their birth dates, I'm guessing the photos was taken early 1890's? The female does seem to have a "youngish" face, but are the clothes too old for her to be a sister?

Would it be possible to colourize the photo? I tried using a basic free colour program (sometimes works okay, and sometimes not). When I tried colouring this photo, the seated boys always comes out a horrible grey colour.

Thank you.
Title: Re: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: goldie61 on Saturday 26 March 22 19:41 GMT (UK)
When were the parents of the two boys married?
Was there enough time for them to have had a daughter of this age?
What age would the mother have been in the early 1890s?
Title: Re: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: Neale1961 on Saturday 26 March 22 20:50 GMT (UK)
I think, mother with her sons.
Title: Re: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: Les de B on Sunday 27 March 22 06:58 BST (UK)
Goldie 61

Parents married 1873. The years of birth for the mother, 2 sons and daughters are included in the original post. I'm guessing the photo was taken early 1890's (say 1893?), mother would be 42, sons 11 and 6, with daughter 16. Or if a little later (say 2 years later) mother 44, sons 13 and 8, daughter 18.

Neale

Thanks for input.
Title: Re: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: Treetotal on Sunday 27 March 22 18:57 BST (UK)
Could you post the back please if you have it as it helps with dating.
Carol
Title: Re: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: John-76 on Monday 28 March 22 03:16 BST (UK)
Here's a version. The colors are extremely subjective and can be changed/modified very easy. Not as good as I'd like, but I ran out of time for today.
Title: Re: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: Les de B on Monday 28 March 22 06:27 BST (UK)
Here's a version. The colors are extremely subjective and can be changed/modified very easy. Not as good as I'd like, but I ran out of time for today.

Carol

The photo is is not the original, and the names are written on the back of the frame which it is in. The birth years supplied are correct, so looking at the boys, my estitmate of early 1890's-1895 can't be too far off the year the photo was taken. The boy's age estimate is easier than the female's, and that my problem.

Les
Title: Re: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: Les de B on Monday 28 March 22 06:31 BST (UK)
Here's a version. The colors are extremely subjective and can be changed/modified very easy. Not as good as I'd like, but I ran out of time for today.

Thanks John.

This was my attempt using a free colour program off the Internet - all you do is download the photo, and press one button, and the computer does the rest in a few seconds.. Not too bad(?) but it just couldn't get the boy sitting down coloured correctly.

Les
Title: Re: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: Trishanne on Monday 28 March 22 19:58 BST (UK)
A colour version from me
Pat
Title: Re: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: Treetotal on Monday 28 March 22 22:18 BST (UK)
I think it could be earlier than the 1890s as the sleeves would have had a small kick up in the earlier part of the decade and from mid century they would have been gigot sleeves.
Carol
Title: Re: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: Gadget on Monday 28 March 22 22:29 BST (UK)
I agree with Carol. It looks circa 1886 +/-  to me. The pleats in the woman's skirt and her hair style  are of this date.
Title: Re: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: Treetotal on Monday 28 March 22 22:34 BST (UK)
Yes I have seen one like that in my book 19th Century Card Photo, dated 1888. The hairstyle is also not right for the 1890s. The photo could be wrongly labelled
Carol
Title: Re: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: Les de B on Tuesday 29 March 22 07:36 BST (UK)
A colour version from me
Pat

Thank you Pat.
Title: Re: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: Les de B on Tuesday 29 March 22 08:02 BST (UK)
Thanks Carol and Gadget

I presume the writing on the back of the photo is correct.......one can only hope?

I suppose the only problem with dating a photo earlier than the dress being worn is - if the person is wearing a 10 year old dress? That is, it could be Harriet (mother) wearing a 10 year old dress or Harriet (daughter) wearing her mother's 10 year old dress? As far as the age of the hair style is concerned I can't give an explanation.....old fashioned maybe ?

Whether the photo is 1880's or 1890's, does the lady in the photo look 31/36 years older than the two boys (i.e. Harriet the mother), or 5/10 years older than the two boys (i.e. Harriet the sister)? My problem is, I can't really tell. I think we have to go back to the original photo because some of the restored versions have given the female make up LOL!  ;D

Les
Title: Re: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: Gadget on Tuesday 29 March 22 10:09 BST (UK)
Les

Carol and I and many others have seen numerous photos where the writing on the back of photos is wrongly identified and  dated.

Wearing clothes that are 10 years out of date for a photograph is very unusual - maybe some men or elderly ladies but very unlikely in others


Gadget
Title: Re: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: Les de B on Tuesday 29 March 22 10:46 BST (UK)
Les

Carol and I and many others have seen numerous photos where the writing on the back of photos is wrongly identified and  dated.

Wearing clothes that are 10 years out of date for a photograph is very unusual - maybe some men or elderly ladies but very unlikely in others


Gadget

Fair enough - I'll see if I can find any other photos of the boys of around the same age. I have photos of them much older as adults, and also of the 2 Harriets, but much older again as old women.

Les
Title: Re: Would This Smith Lady Be The Mother Or The Sister? Can Photo Be Coloured?
Post by: Treetotal on Tuesday 29 March 22 15:32 BST (UK)
It is so easy to make assumptions based on opinions passed on and it can really come as a shock to some, to learn the truth about their photos. Quite a few years ago there was someone who wanted a Carte de Visite dating that she said was of her great grandmother, it turned out to be Queen Victoria, she took some persuading  ;D
Also, swapping photos was common among friends and Family and what is thought to be a Family photo can sometimes be one of Family friends.

Carol