Photo for dating & estimated age of Haida man - west coast Canada

[RedMystic]

Hi Chatters,

I'm helping a friend identify some of the old family photos in his collection. This one is not identified. I suspect the man is about 50 and that the photo was possibly taken about 1915. I would love the expert eye of those more in the know.

Also, while the photo has a vignette treatment, the background doesn't look like a studio shot to me. Thoughts on that are welcomed as well.

The family lived on a remote area of Canada's west coast, but often traveled to Victoria, BC as well as Seattle, WA.

Thank you for any assistance you can provide in putting a date to the photo and an age to the man.

[jim1]

Unfortunately the AZO stamp box was in use over quite a long period from around 1905 & up to the end of WW1. I would suggest this is in the upper half.

[Handypandy]

Clean up for this one....

[RedMystic]

Thank you Jim.

Thank you also, Handypandy.

I am helping a friend identify family members. This man (and the 2 women in Edwardian travel attire) that both of you responded to are members of the Haida nation. There were 10,000 - 12,000 of them in 1850. By 1905, there were about 500 in Canada and 200 in the USA.

I really appreciate that you've taken the time to help me try to place these photos among my friend's surviving relatives.

[a-l]

He looks about 48-52 to me.

[RedMystic]

Thanks a-l.

[Handypandy]

With some colour...

[RedMystic]

That you Handypandy. Your interpretation is REALLY fascinating.

Haida, being First Nations / native, usually had black / very dark brown hair & didn't tend to go grey - or at least not until they were very elderly. It was, however, not uncommon for some to have a very coarse, dark auburn coloured hair. It isn't like white people red hair and isn't caused by the same gene configuration as white people red hair.

You've interpreted his eyes as blue. Haida eyes were never blue, but Haida sometimes had pale hazel eyes. (This is recorded in journals back to first contact with white people).

BTW Haida red hair and hazel eyes didn't always go together - some had very dark hair with hazel eyes and a Haida redhead could have dark brown eyes.

The fact that you've interpreted his hair as dark auburn combined with grey provides another two clues for me that may help me identify him.

[RedMystic]

Handypandy, something else has caught my eye since you've coloured the photo.

He has a metal medallion affixed to the knot in his tie. (Haida were great silver carvers.) Can you detect any etching in the medallion?

Of particular note to me would be if it has an eagle or a raven (the two clans).

It could also have any number of other animals from (killer whale, double finned killer whale, frog, etc), but those are crests won't help me as much in identification.

I didn't think I wanted a clean-up on this photo, but you've opened my eyes to a number of leads that I wouldn't have had otherwise. Thank you for that.