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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: jaamac on Sunday 17 September 23 10:28 BST (UK)
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A friend who is in his mid 90’s has four beautiful Victorian miniature paintings, one of which had some writing on the back of the original frame which might help to identify the family. If he can do so he would be happy to consider reuniting the descendants with the miniatures, which are quite lovely. I attach the one with the writing on the reverse, which is only partially legible and reads “John xxxxxx” then what looks like “47 yrs xxxxxx Dumfriesshire”
Its a long shot but if anyone recognises this man or can add to the interpretation of the wooden back to the photo perhaps he / she could get in touch.
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I think you’ll find that it’s a tinted photograph which will put in in the second half of the 19C.
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Tou Shing was a Chinese photographer in Hong Kong.
S_L
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Thanks, Ray T and still_looking, much obliged for your help.
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Does that little insignia thing around his neck help?
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Thanks, Hepburn,
Can't make out enough detail. Its certainly capped by a crown but quite what the rest of it is I just don't know.
Jaamac
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Have you tried turning it into a negative to see if that helps?
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Tou Shing was a Chinese photographer in Hong Kong.
S_L
Just looked up Tou Shing on the web, I note he was in business in Hong Kong between 1875 and 1881, so this ties in nicely with Ray T's suggestion.
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Have you tried turning it into a negative to see if that helps?
Not sure I know how to do that?
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I used to know how to do that but I can't remember any more. Not something I did a lot of. Google and see what you come up with or wait and see if a RootsChatter can assist.
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Search for '<your graphics software> <your operating system> invert colours' e.g. 'paint windows invert colours'.
Regarding the locket, I thought it might be a sacred heart but I'm not sure. Annoyingly I am pretty certain that I've seen something similar before.
Thinking of something like this, not convinced that its a Luckenbooth or a Vlaams (Flemish) heart.
S_L
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Hope this helps, I have inverted the image. It could say Dumfriesshire.
Carol
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Thanks, Carol, nice try. I've convinced myself that it is Dumfriesshire, and that he was 47 years there but unfortunately can't get beyond that. Grateful for your help.
J
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Search for '<your graphics software> <your operating system> invert colours' e.g. 'paint windows invert colours'.
Regarding the locket, I thought it might be a sacred heart but I'm not sure. Annoyingly I am pretty certain that I've seen something similar before.
Thinking of something like this, not convinced that its a Luckenbooth or a Vlaams (Flemish) heart.
S_L
Very similar, but I agree, not quite there. I was wondering if it had some military significance.
J
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Hope this helps, I have inverted the image. It could say Dumfriesshire.
Carol
Do you think the 'squiggles' in the centre of the board are Chinese writing?
Jaamac
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Perhaps a long-shot, but could he be a missionary - in China? HIs dress certainly looks like a man of the cloth.
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Perhaps a long-shot, but could he be a missionary - in China? HIs dress certainly looks like a man of the cloth.
Good thinking, thanks.
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This ad is from the Kircudbrightshire Advertiser & Galloway News of Dec 5, 1884. Perhaps this could be him.
Article about John W Stevenson with photo here:
https://bdcconline.net/en/stories/john-w-stevenson
Could this photo be him as an older man? He was home in Scotland 1883-1885.
I'm not sure where the no. 47 on the portrait comes in - perhaps the age at which he was depicted?
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More on John Whiteford Stevenson, with photo, at https://bdcconline.net/en/stories/john-w-stevenson
There's a clearer version of the same photo at https://missiology.org.uk/pdf/e-books/broomhall-m/j-w-stevenson_broomhall.pdf (on page 2 of pdf). This has a few other photos too - list on page 7 (ix of original). The one on page 27 of the pdf seems to me to be pretty similar to the one here.
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It could well be the same person. Given difference in age in the photos, his hairline seems very similar. He appears on Ancestry, so there is some possibility that descendants could be found.
Born 30 Mar 1844, Kelton Kirkcudbright Scotland
Married Anney Jolley 1865 - Poplar London
He could well be 47 in this photo - 1891
Died in China 1918
4 children listed on an Ancestry Tree - this has quite a lot of information, but I haven't checked it!
Kath
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Thanks, everyone, for your brilliant efforts. I will follow this up and see if I can get some thing more definitive, but its certainly a great lead and I am extremely grateful for your findings.
I've read the story of John Stevenson and it in itself is most impressive, these 19th Century missionaries were hard and dedicated men and women, one can't but greatly admire their tenacity.
Jaamac