please date photo lady and child

[Roydie]

Hi all,
I have had a bit of a look around different suggested websites to help me with a timeframe for this photo.
I am helping a lady who is onboard this forum but can not seem to get her attachments to post.
My un-informed estimate for this picture is mid 1870's, because of the slightly rounded edges of the card, the type of ink work used in the design and the severe hair style with ears... how did I go???
but I could be very wrong too!!
many thanks
cathy

[PaulaToo]

I've seen a similar design on the back of one from the first half of the 1870s, so you may be right.
I'm not much of an expert on dating though.....

[PrueM]

I'd say you're probably about right Cathy 
A bit hard to pin down an exact date as the lady is older and is wearing a style more popular in the early 70s and 1860s, but going by the reasonably tight framing and the hairstyle and cardstock/printing, I'd say mid-late 70s.

Jim and China may be able to help further and if we're not careful you'll be helping us out soon, dating other people's pics! 

Cheers
Prue

[Roydie]

Many thanks for the heads up, Prue 
Good to see I am on the right track with my sleuthing...it is an absorbing and fascinating challenge.
I am thinking very seriously about getting hold of a couple of good resource books and learning more 
cheers
Cathy

[jim1]

I'd go a bit earlier than Prue at early 1870's.the cardstock  as Paula says is early 70's,the lady's dress style is early 70's,the epaulette shoulder you can just about see under her mantle was a throwback to the v.late 60's.
jim

[chinakay]

Mmmmm...the red lines around the portrait are usually 1860s....the dress style is definitely 1860s and so is the hair.....Jim, why do you say early 1870s, just curious, not disputing in the slightest ...?

Cheers,
China

[PrueM]

Can't speak for Jim, but my thoughts were that the subject filling the frame in the way that it does is a feature later than 1860s...

[jim1]

The dress styles of the lady & child could be late 1860's as can the front of the cardstock but I've not seen this design on the back in the 1860's.

jim