Help bring 150 year old photo to life

[majm]

I think he is quite young, and yes, sitting on a bench/platform etc, as per his hand resting on his knee... Also I think I can see flesh under his chin and above the collar of his shirt, and that causes me to wonder if that is only a shadow on his jaw rather than a beard ... so I am suggesting there's no real significant growth of a full face beard and that seems to be a clean upper lip too...  and he does not have his other hand displayed touching the lady.   I have several photos from late 1860s where the husband is seated and the wife standing resting her hand on his shoulder or arm etc...

JM

[Wiggy]

I don't think he has a beard or moustache - just alot of hair down the side of his face.

[McGroger]

I think it's just damage/shadow that makes him look hairy. I also think his head looks smaller than the lady's.
Just a B&W cleanup from me.
Peter

[majm]

I don't think he has a beard or moustache - just alot of hair down the side of his face.

Ohhhhh  .... I  thought that was the shadow of his head on the canvas behind him.... 

JM

[Shamrockgirl]

Hi all, interesting observation, they are definitely mother and son, their dates are exact I have seen their grave .. one of her son's was a parish priest. The cleaned up black and white photo shows his hair more accurately there is quite a bit of shadow on mine, he didn't have long hair or facial hair as he was only 10 or 11 in the picture. He still had a full head of hair on his death bed so he wasn't recceding either lol. He is sitting down in the picture. It was taken circa 1870. It was taken in Ireland too, so yes the fashion / style may have been slower to catch up.
I love to look at this picture so to see it in colour is a great. Thank you so much to everyone so far x

[Ruskie]

I wondered why he was posed on a platform rather than sitting or standing behind his mother.

Thinking further about it, if he had been standing beside his mother he may have been the same height as her, so the composition would not have looked right. He would have looked odd standing in front of her or sitting beside her, so raising him makes sense. 

[Trishanne]

Interesting photo. I agree I think this is a young boy stood on a step behind his mother, but there does seem to be a shoe peeping out from her skirt on the right hand side as you look at the photo.
Pat

[Mike in Cumbria]

My version

[DanNC]

One more for the pile