Date for unknown men on tintype? U.S.

[dansdottir]

I find it interesting, too.  Why did these men choose to sit for their picture while wearing their coats and hats?  The backdrop art looks to be in a similar fashion to another photo I have of my gg grandfather, so I wonder if it's the same studio.  But my gg grandfather's pic is in photo form, not a tintype, and he's looking dapper in a nice suit, not wearing outerwear.

[Drosybont]

I've not got the dating skill you need, just watching this one with interest.  Wondered whether they might be fairly recent immigrants, something about the style of clothes? 

Drosybont

[dansdottir]

Drosybont,

Yeah, I'm no expert, so it's a layman's guess, but don't the hats look somehow Russian?

[chinakay]

Well, not much to date I'm afraid...men's fashion didn't change quickly but there are a few things to look for and I don't see any of them in this photo. Also, other clues we look for such as frame/backing, photographer's stamp, and tone are also missing because it's a tintype.

Another problem is that these men don't look western European so their clothing styles could be quite different from what was the norm in England and North America.

About the only thing I can say about this is that the style of the handpainted backdrop has an 1890s look to it, and that as this is a tintype the image is reversed. It will also be a unique image in that it is the actual negative, treated so it appears positive.

Sorry I can't give you much. Try pinging jim1, he's better at men's clothes.

Cheers,
China

[dansdottir]

Chinakay,

Thanks a lot!  I had a feeling it might be tricky to date.  The clothes just look so ... generic, somehow.  And, yeah, there's not a lot else -- no frame, studio name, nothing on the back.  I think the style of backdrop looks really similar to this photo from the same side of the family, but it isn't dated, either, so.  At least I know who it is -- my gg grandfather, which might indicate the tintype was also from Ohio or Indiana, since that's the area my gg grandfather lived in at the time that tintypes were a thing.

[cazza59]

Drosybont,

Yeah, I'm no expert, so it's a layman's guess, but don't the hats look somehow Russian?

That was my first impression too.  I think Droysbont is on to something.

[cazza59]

Just looking at the photo again, they seriously look like they have just stepped off the boat.  Both are sitting their with a bemused expression, taking it all in.  Maybe their American cousin or sponsor decided to get a photo taken to commemorate their arrival!  Sorry, vivid imagination, but if I had to write a story about that photo, that would be it! 

[Treetotal]

My first impression was that they were Russian too....I didn't like to say as no-one else appeared to think so....and the poster had said it was U.S. Having said that...I have Canadian rellies who wore those type of hats.
Carol

[cazza59]

I think their features are Eastern European, but who knows.


Caz