Date please

[suziet]

Hi

Another photo for dating, this is Mary Bennett born about 1809. 

Thanks in advance.

Sue

[julieann1]

Fab photo.  I have an 1860's photo where the women are wearing big skirts and those sort of sloping shoulders

[chinakay]

Hi Sue, just seen this lovely old photo. I'm thinking possibly as far back as late 1850s...the subject is far from the camera as they didn't have lenses capable of doing good closeup portraits then...it could be as late as 1865 but I'm thinking around 1860 is a more reasonable guess, definitely very early 1860s. The style of bodice with the dropped shoulder, the hairstyle covering the ears, and bell sleeves and the vee-shape to the whole thing...very early 1860s. The reason I can't put it any earlier is there are no photos to caompare it to...commercial photography began in 1839 but photos from before about 1860 as hard to find. So, it's just a guess but this photo has a very old "feel" to it indeed. Oh, and the book she is holding is supposed to denote literacy.

At any rate, bumping it back up the thread may bring someone else along for an opinion

Cheers,
China

[PrueM]

Just agreeing with and adding to China's estimate, the lady's hair is covering her ears, and this was a style popular in the early 1860s - around 1865 hair started to be pulled up a bit higher, gradually revealing more of the ears until by 1870 the whole ear was on show.

The style of portrait and the clothing worn all point to early 1860s.  No earlier than 1860 because these photographs were not around before that!

Cheers
Prue

[chinakay]

Oh, right, they'd be ambrotypes, then?

C

[PrueM]

THey would indeed, China   
Or calotypes or daguerreotypes...

[suziet]

Thanks for the comments.  I guess she would have been about 50 years old.  Would be interested in comments.  Here is her husband taken around the same time I presume......?

[chinakay]

What a fabulous pair of photos...you are so lucky to have them, very unusual.

See the way the floor in the 2nd photo seems to curve a little, not evident in the 1st because of the skirt...I'm thinking this may be because of poor lens quality...Prue would be the one who could tell you all about that sort of thing.

I love old maps that are wonky and distorted, so this feature of the picture adds a dimension of antiquity, to me. More interesting than an old picture that doesn't have any flaws

Cheers,
C

[suziet]

I don't have the originals unfortunately, but at least I have a copy thanks to my 1st cousin 4x removed!

I think they were taken by their son, Edward Bennett Jenkinson I think he was a keen amateur........

I hadn't noticed the curve in the floor either!  What do you think he has round his neck???

Sue