Welsh Family Photo taken where?

[Steeple1]

Only because of the very distinctive floor covering I'm hoping it's possible to say if this photo was likely to have been taken in Scotland or Tunbridge Wells, Kent. TKS.

[Treetotal]

Hi Steeple and welcome to Rootschat...It will be very hard to identify where the photo was taken without the photographer's name...is there anything written on the back? Have you found the family on the 1861 census which might give a clue to where they were living at the time.
Carol

[Steeple1]

TKS for yr response.The photo was stuck onto a card without any writing on it at all. The child is my gm née Welsh, with her mother being one of the two at rear. Seated is their mother, surnames Sanderson. All were bn Penicuik MLN except gm, bn Tunbridge Wells KEN. I was hoping that someone might have noticed the highly patterned floor covering elsewhere.

[Steeple1]

PS. Birth certs show family were living in Soho in 1861 but the relevant census pages are missing.

[Viktoria]

I may be telling you something you know but just in case,the background is painted,so not outside an impressive building and the carpet is a dead give- away.
Sometimes the photographer would visit an area and take photographs, taking with him his own background cloths.
At other times he would take the photographs in his studio and people could choose which background they preferred.
Sorry this info won`t be of much help.
Judging by the exquisite clothes the ladies were quite well to do.
Thanks for sharing a lovely photograph
                                                        Viktoria.

[Steeple1]

Thanks for the info. I've read about studios and have several 19C photographs of set-ups clearly not what they are made to look like.

The Scottish family were involved in the papermaking trade at Penicuik but at what level is unknown. However, the little girl's grandfather answered the call of the City of LND police c 1838 and emigrated as did his bride, the child's mother, the one rear left. She married a builder / carver gilder / painter. In 1851 he is shown as a Footman at Clapham SRY to the Cubitt family, (later national building contractors) so I suspect that there is a connection which caused the move to Tunbridge Wells and the building trade.

With 13 children, his various trades hardly point to wealth so the clothes may have been Sunday best.

Some of the birth certs were bought back in pen and ink days by writing to the Supt Registrar and cost 3/9d (<20p)!

[Wiggy]

Welcome from me too Steeple.

I think Carol is suggesting this photo was taken quite early - like late 1850s or early 1860s - those big sleeves and large crinolined skirts would indicate so.

. . . . in which case if that baby is your grandmother??  - rather than Great,   or even Great great - well, . . . . .  it seems to me there is a generation or two missing.

I am no spring-chicken, but my grandmother was born in 1892.  This photo is likely to be 30-35 years before!   

It is a lovely photo and one to treasure!

Wiggy

[matthewj64]

What year was the baby born?

It may be possible to narrow down the photographer based on the year it was taken

M 

[Gadget]

Welcome from me too 

Apart from the crinolines, the hair is worn over the ears which suggests late 50s or very early 1860s, as Carol and Wiggy have suggested.

The child looks to be about 18mths old +/-. Can you confirm your grandmother's date of birth.

Gadget