date photo & what do the clothes indicate?

[Dave Hall]

Quick tidy before bed
Dave

[petercr49]

Attachment of Isaac's eulogy didn't appear to go on, I will try again

regards

Peter

[petercr49]

I have discovered that another elderly descendent of Isaac (different to the source of my photograph) has an original of this same photograph and written on the back of it is 1862.  This seems to fit with the deduction above of an 1860's photo reprinted in 1890.

regards

Peter

[Ruskie]

Just to add my tuppence worth - the first thing I thought when seeing this was, 'this does not look like it was taken in the UK' and 'is this gentleman of Eastern European origin', and I see that Igor was thinking along the same lines.

The heavy coat, dark shirt and neckwear just seem unusual ... as does the pose of the sitter, staring directly into the camera.

Did Isaac ever live anywhere other than the UK?

[petercr49]

As far as I know, Isaac never left this country but I have copies of correspondence written to him 1859 from Garibaldi, Louis Blanc and Victor Hugo discussing Mazzini and Lajos Kossuth, revolutionary leaders in Italy and Hungary, respectively.  Maybe someone gave him a coat?  I have been going through my information again and the obvious has struck me.  If the original photo was taken 1862 (as written on the back of this second copy), that was the year that Isaac's father, Robert Crowther, died.  Could this be a photo of Isaac in mourning outfit?

regards

Peter Crowther

[Ruskie]

As far as I know, Isaac never left this country but I have copies of correspondence written to him 1859 from Garibaldi, Louis Blanc and Victor Hugo discussing Mazzini and Lajos Kossuth, revolutionary leaders in Italy and Hungary, respectively.  Maybe someone gave him a coat?  I have been going through my information again and the obvious has struck me.  If the original photo was taken 1862 (as written on the back of this second copy), that was the year that Isaac's father, Robert Crowther, died.  Could this be a photo of Isaac in mourning outfit?

regards

Peter Crowther

 . Isaac kept some very interesting company. How did he come to know these people? It does make me wonder if he did leave the country and met them up with them at some stage.

I'll leave it to the experts to comment on whether or not this might be a mourning outfit. The whole photograph just has an unusual 'feel' about it. 

[petercr49]

I'm not saying Isaac actually knew these people, I think he wrote to them on behalf of a Newcastle political committee in relation to political issues and they replied.

regards

Peter Crowther

[kris_baxter73]

There is an interesting ghost story about this photographer (Dickinson of Newcastle) http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/3238/double_exposure.html

[Geoff-E]

... Garibaldi ... Mazzini ...

A second cousin of mine says there is a family legend that her ancestors in Birmingham (gunmaking industry) were visited by these people at some point.  Certainly various males in her family since then have borne the middle name Mazzini (including a grandchild born last year).