Date for Victorian Family Portrait - Lincolnshire

[John’s]

Hello All

Asking for a friend researching her farming family

She believes (or hopes) it’s mid-1860’s and wonders whether the girls are in mourning clothes?

I should add, it’s an online find so no other information available

Any suggestions appreciated

Thank you

John

[Neale1961]

Bringing this up the board for dating.
Is there a photographer's name on it anywhere?

[sparrett]

Am I imagining it or do the little girls have white or pale coloured dogs on their laps?
Sue

[John’s]

Thank you very much, Neale, I appreciate that. Unfortunately, I believe this is the photograph, or screenshot, in its entirety - a pity to not have more details (but better than nothing, of course)

Now that you mention it, Sue, there definitely does appear to be something reasonably substantial on the girls laps. How interesting! Do you know if it was usual to pose with dogs or pets then?

Would they have posed with something like mufflers, without their coats on, to display their new frocks - the older girls have capes so it was perhaps cool as the father is coated too - or were mufflers a bit too posh?

Thanks to you both for your help

John

[sparrett]

About the animal (or maybe it isn't  )

If you enlarge the view of the photo a lot then look, is there a little dog face quite low on the girl's lap? The girl on his right. Its is in line with his right knee

I've just got it stuck in my brain now and I can't unsee it

Sue

[John’s]

I know what you mean, Sue, except all I can see now is a seal pup 

[Ili1133]

The muffs might be locally caught animals (with heads) as you suggested? Silver foxes?

My (Lincolnshire) grandmother had two fox stoles which we thought were very creepy. She told us her husband-to-be, who was from farming stock, had the foxes made up into stoles for her by the local furrier.

[Jool]

I think the dogs/seal pups on the girls' laps could be light coloured shawls.  I don't think they are in mourning clothes.

The man appears to be sporting a newgate frill beard, popular in the 1850s but some men continued to wear this style of beard later.  Also, his coat looks 1850s style. The woman on the right is wearing her hair covering her ears (1850s), I believe women started wearing their hair off their ears in the 1860s. 

If it is 1850s it's likely to be an ambrotype, a photo on glass with a reversed image, but his coat buttons appear to be on the correct side on this image. (I am lucky enough to have one of these),

I must point out that I am no photo dating expert, this is just from what I have gleaned from reading photo dating threads on Rootschat.  Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will come along soon.

[John’s]

Thank you again for the helpful replies

I love your story, llii1133, and it sounds wonderfully exotic to have silver fox furs - I think Jool is right about the shawls - much more likely, unfortunately (!)

Thank you your knowledge about hair and fashion, Jool - it sounds very expert to me, also absolutely fascinating and extremely useful. How marvellous to have an ambrotype - the stories these items could tell if they could talk

Do you think that agrarian, rural, working people were able to keep up with fashion to some extent, or were there fashions amongst different groups of people that were therefore able to be adopted more quickly?

Thanks again

John