Photo dating required!

[Rachael89]

Hi, could anyone help me with dating this photo? I know they're relatives but am not sure who they are exactly, so as accurate a date as possible would really help me out! Also, would you say the baby is more likely to be a girl? I know it's hard to tell since girls and boys were often dressed the same, but it looks like a girl to me...

Thank you.

[Gadget]

I've seen similar dresses like that  - 1882-ish.

Gadget

see - https://web.archive.org/web/20060828153443/http://www.cartes.fsnet.co.uk:80/date/a1882.htm

[Rachael89]

Ah nice! Thank you. I'm estimating that it may be a photo of a couple with a child who was born in 1886 - that would make the dress a bit old-fashioned, but I guess that sort of date would still work?

[Gadget]

I've just flicked through some of my books and have found a pic of a lady wearing a dress like that dated as 1884. Certainly early 1880s though and not sure that it would be 1886.

Gadget

[DrDude45]

Late 1880s to early 1890s. Hats and her dress are all good indicators.

I hope you enjoy the cleaned photo.

[Gadget]

Late 1880s to early 1890s. Hats and her dress are all good indicators.

See my link to the 1882 dress:


see - https://web.archive.org/web/20060828153443/http://www.cartes.fsnet.co.uk:80/date/a1882.htm

[barryd]

Do the shoes on the baby give an indication that the parents have a female child?

[Rachael89]

Thanks for the great replies everyone and the lovely restoration! All very useful . Based on the 1880s dating, I'm making the educated guess that the people pictured are my great-great grandparents, which is exciting!

[DrDude45]

Late 1880s to early 1890s. Hats and her dress are all good indicators.

See my link to the 1882 dress:


see - https://web.archive.org/web/20060828153443/http://www.cartes.fsnet.co.uk:80/date/a1882.htm

Combining the two pics in your example, you could make the dress this lady wears. I'm thinking this is more like a late 1880s traveling dress. The hat not being large, yet fashionable goes to further bolster that in my opinion.