Photo mystery - is this baby a boy or girl? Also date.

[dansdottir]

I also think the child is probably a boy, and for a subjective reason.  With only the one child in the picture, it feels likely to me that the mother would hold it.  Since the child is on Dad's lap, it gives me the sense that he's particularly proud, which would more likely mean a son.

Just guessing, of course.

[jim1]

This may have been a picture for her. His & her photos were common.

[marshas]

Thank you everyone for your help!  And the photo was restored beautifully - thanks so much.  I also think the baby is a boy, but my cousins have argued it's a girl as that matches a baby born in 1908 that Henry and his wife adopted.  I now need to solve the identity of the woman and baby.   I will take your consensus that the second photo is the wedding photo of August and Selma Wigg.  I know their marriage date was 1898.  Henry and August were some kind of cousins (don't know yet exactly), best friends and later built matching houses next door to each other in Negaunee.  Thanks again!

[marshas]

This may have been a picture for her. His & her photos were common.

Please explain further about his and her photos. 

[marshas]

Thanks everyone - consensus is the baby in the bottom photo is a boy - I agree.
But that creates a new mystery - who is the woman?  Does it look like the same woman in both photos?  Need your discerning eyes! 

We know the identity of the woman and girl standing in the 1910 photo.  The girl is Hilma, born in 1908.  Hilma is standing with her aunt Ida, who adopted her after her mother died. 

Could Ida be the woman in both photos? One taken in 1898 or so, the other taken in 1910 or so? (Though I was told that Ida didn't arrive in USA until 1908 with Henry.)

[jim1]

Not the same baby as this was taken much later, certainly post 1905 & could be up to around 1912.
The other photo is mid-late 1890's. That child was a boy who would be around 10/12 when this was taken.
This baby is a girl.

[marshas]

jim1- thank you.  Sounds like you are convinced the baby photo with family was taken before 1900, so it could be the estranged wife of Henry who traveled from Finland with her youngest son, Kalle, born in 1897 in Finland.  My cousin in Finland, however, says the mother was ill and didn't travel to America.  I'll look for travel records.

[marshas]

The second one for comparison.

Caroline

Caroline, thank you for restoring both photos - they are wonderful.  Will be much appreciated by their family, esp the wedding photo.

[cazza59]

You're more than welcome.

Caroline