Water/mould damage

[SevenThree]

I could not make better of what your Grandmother had in her right hand.

Not to worry, probably some flowers - but what grabbed my attention more is what was missing from her left hand! They were definitely married in 1911 in Newbridge, Co Kildare- she was 20 and he was 28.  This means that the photo pre-dates what I'd originally been told about it's approximate age.  We assumed that it was taken after their marriage but there is clearly no wedding ring on her hand.  Perhaps it was a photo for their engagement!

Further dating the photo would be the fact that my mother, (last child born in 1937) remembers her father being in the Garda Siochana. Prior to 1922 Ireland was still under British rule and the police force then was known as the Royal Irish Constabulary.  The cap badge on his hat is definitely harp shaped, therefore whatever service he is in at the time (RIC or one of the Irish military regiments) it is definitely not the Garda which has a totally different shaped cap badge.

7/3

[miagre1]

Hi 7/3,

Re. my question of backing, I noticed in the damaged section, as though the print had been folded and the emulsion layer torn, that the hatched effect visible over all the photo is still visible. I assumed that the backing itself was composed of some sort of material rather than paper. Further, the hatched effect is not regular, rather like a cloth type material. I have never seen an old photograph printed on cloth material as a darkroom process. I do not know either if parchment could be used for such process, nor if parchment has such fibers.

Best regards George

Enlarged section of your original: -

[SevenThree]

Hi George,

Thanks for that full explanation of your thoughts, I'll see what I can find out about the original and let you know. 

Best wishes

7/3

[saddles]

Just experimenting to see how the photo would work out !



Carolyn 

[SevenThree]

Oh wow Carolyn - you experiment as much as you like, that is fantastic! I could never have imagined anything like that - even if I'd been given six weeks to think about it!  My mother will be ecstatic!

Thank you most sincerely, 

7/3

[saddles]

Hi 7/3..............I am glad you liked the experiment, seeing there was no background as such I decided to try something, it worked out rather well i think !.


Carolyn 

[PeterMc]

Definately not an RIC uniform. I suspect this man was in the Irish Volunteers!

[SevenThree]

Thank you Peter, good to hear from somebody who knows!