Could anyone shed any light on when this photo may have been taken?
The less elaborate back makes me think it might be from around the 1870s or 80s rather than later (based on what I've read on the subject) but the young man's tie looks quite modern.
What I've been able to learn about the photographer, Thomas Bosworth:
- He was originally from Leicester. The first census in which he appears in Rugeley, working as a photographer on Horse Fair, one of the main shopping streets of the town, is 1871. He wasn't present in the 1861 census so he must have set up shop some time between then and 1871.
- He also appears in the 1881 census, Kelly's Directory in 1888 and the 1891 census, operating out of the same shop.
- He is absent from the 1896 Kelly's Directory.
- In the 1901 census, he is listed as a 'retired photographer' and living at a different address. His former premises have been taken over by a lady running a coffee house, so the photography business definitely seems to have closed down by this point.
- He doesn't appear in any later censuses. I haven't found a definite date of death for him yet, but he was already 80 in the 1901 census so it seems unlikely that he would have resumed working after that.
In summary, the photographer was definitely operating during the period 1871-91 and definitely not operating outside the period 1862-1895.
If anyone could help narrow this down a little more based on the features of the card, the costume or any other clues, I'd be very grateful.
