Help in dating old family picture

• May 1, 2018

• #1

matei

One Too Many

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England

Hi all,

Apologies if this is perhaps the wrong place to post this query! I fear it may predate the Golden Era by perhaps 20-40 years.

I'm trying to date the attached picture, it is a picture of my Italian ancestors. I've been told that it is my great-great-grandfather with his mother and her sister.

I personally think is a different relative, and perhaps dates from the early 1900s.

My attempts on dating the picture by women's fashion from various eras led me nowhere, however as my gg-grandfather was born in 1835, I assumed portrait photography was not yet on the scene - and the photography services that did exist were too dear for the average person.

 

• May 1, 2018

• #2

LizzieMaine

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Where The Tourists Meet The Sea

The clothing is definitely turn of the 20th Century, most likely as late as 1915 or so. The hats are very much la mode of that period.

A photo taken in the 1840s would be a daguerreotype or ambrotype, which this is not. But it's very much the sort of thing you'd have taken in a one-flight-up large-format-camera photographer's studio in the 1910s.

 

• May 1, 2018

• #3

matei

One Too Many

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England

LizzieMaine said:

The clothing is definitely turn of the 20th Century, most likely as late as 1915 or so. The hats are very much la mode of that period.

A photo taken in the 1840s would be a daguerreotype or ambrotype, which this is not. But it's very much the sort of thing you'd have taken in a one-flight-up large-format-camera photographer's studio in the 1910s.

Click to expand...

Ah, thanks very much for the detailed answer. I thought it looked like the type of photo that one would get done at the very type of studio that you described. It is on a postcard, on the back it actually states POST CARD in English. I would assume they did this after they immigrated to the US from Italy.

 

• May 1, 2018

• #4

V.C. Brunswick

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Orange County, CA

It definitely looks circa 1915-20. I have a pic of my great-aunt (born in 1902) dressed similarly.

 

• May 1, 2018

• #5

LizzieMaine

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Where The Tourists Meet The Sea

The reason they look bug-eyed, by the way, is because of the violent POP of the flash powder. A hallmark of studio technique of the period.

 

• May 1, 2018

• #6

matei

One Too Many

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England

Wow - didn't realise that!

 

• May 1, 2018

• #7

2jakes

I'll Lock Up

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Alamo Heights ☀️ Texas

Daguerreotype 1850

Besides the flash powder, there was also the posing stand which was required
for long exposures.

This explains why some of the subjects appeared stiff.

Not to be confused with post-mortem photography which was popular at the
turn-of-the-century.

 

• May 3, 2018

• #8

matei

One Too Many

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England

Wow - enlightening, thanks!

 

• May 4, 2018

• #9

vitanola

I'll Lock Up

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Gopher Prairie, MI

These Daguerreotypes from the '40s may give a better idea of female costume of the period:

 

• May 4, 2018

• #10

MondoFW

Practically Family

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852

2jakes said:

Daguerreotype 1850
View attachment 116831
Besides the flash powder, there was also the posing stand which was required
for long exposures.
View attachment 116832
View attachment 116834
View attachment 116833
This explains why some of the subjects appeared stiff.

Not to be confused with post-mortem photography which was popular at the
turn-of-the-century.

Click to expand...

These are some interesting photographs, thanks for sharing. Love seeing candid history. It's also enlightening to hear why people appeared so stiff and spellbound in very old photographs. I should hang around this subforum more often!

This supposedly dates back to 1901-1904 and it was crazy to see someone enjoying himself in a photograph from then. I suppose Chinese rice farmers weren't so concerned about their reputation as, say, Edwardian Londoners.

 

• May 4, 2018

• #11

2jakes

I'll Lock Up

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Alamo Heights ☀️ Texas

1840s
I love those freckles!

 

Last edited: May 4, 2018

• Jun 28, 2023

• #12

M

midnightjack

New in Town

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2

Clothing styles can be a helpful clue in dating old photographs, but it's not always definitive. It's fascinating how fashion evolves over time, isn't it? By examining the details and comparing them to fashion trends of different eras, you might be able to narrow down the time period.

 

• Jul 5, 2023

• #13

M

midnightjack

New in Town

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midnightjack said:

Clothing styles can be a helpful clue in dating old photographs, but it's not always definitive. It's fascinating how fashion evolves over time, isn't it? By examining the details and comparing them to fashion trends of different eras, you might be able to narrow down the time period.

Click to expand...

On another note, I've been on the lookout for some unique wall prints to decorate my new place as well. It's amazing how pictures like these have become popular elements of decor, connecting us to our past and adding character to our spaces. While browsing online, I stumbled upon one website that offers a selection of canvas prints. They have a wide range of options that can suit various tastes and preferences. If you're interested, you can check them out at https://www.frameshop.com.au/canvas-prints/

 

• Sep 27, 2023

• #14

tonyb

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My mother's basement

^^^^^^
Among the many and varied graphical elements adorning the walls (and ceilings, and floors) here are two oval sepia-tone photos — one of my maternal grandfather as a (roughly) two-year-old, and the other his uncle Charlie, in his doughboy uniform.

These sorts of photos (we’ve all seen them) turn up at antique malls with some regularity, which saddens me a bit. These are hundred-plus-year-old photos of someone’s ancestors, and most of those someones wouldn’t know these images even exist. If it weren’t for my Dear Old Ma’s entrusting me with the above mentioned photos, they might well have come to the same end. Her trust that I am the likeliest of her offspring to be a responsible steward of these things is well placed. My cousin Bob knows I am in possession of them, and seeing how he’s younger and healthier, he will likely be next to have them.