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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: zempavlob2 on Saturday 27 August 11 14:20 BST (UK)
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hi
any help dating this photo, or the age of the sitter, will be much appreciated, thank you.
Although it states 'Nan Harding' (a great grandmother) on the reverse of the photo, the relative who kindly provided it thinks it's possibly a photograph of the great grandmother's mother who was born September 1864 in BEDMINSTER, BRISTOL.
I don't have the original photo and the reprint I'm told is larger than the original (no size available) and doesn't show the name of the photographer who is:
J.B. STEWART & Son
Poona
India
Also missing on the reprint, but visible on the original, is a possible ' by appointment to' sign (no further details)
It's not clear if the photo was taken in INDIA but the potential ancestor married a sailor in 1883 in BEDMINSTER so could possibly have travelled with him?
The only other thing I know is the original photo shows signs of being cut from a bigger picture.
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I think this is a picture of someone in her late teens or very early twenties.
I'm not a dater, but I think you will get responses ruling out the 1864 lady, as I don't believe this is a 1884 hairstyle.
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I think your photo could be of a girl in her very early teens, as her body "shape" is that of a young girl. the hairstyle suggests 1900 to 1910.
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I agree that she looks young, Brian, but I think the fact that her hair is "up" suggests she's a little older than early teens.
The costume experts will be along soon to confirm the dating!
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Hmmm...what an unusual hairstyle, don't think I've seen anything quite like it before.
After eliminating everything else, I think I have to agree it's likely early 1900s...the hair, the shape of the cuff and the little bit of waistline visible make me think it's around 1905 or so, although the rustic scenery is a bit dated.
The only info I could find about the photographer was that he seems to have been active photographing soldiers in India during WWI, so a similar time frame.
Best I can do :P
Cheers,
China
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Aha....here he is. It's FB Stewart.
http://www.victorian-cinema.net/stewart.htm
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thanks everyone for your help, it's much appreciated!
do you think it's ok to assume the photograph was taken in the UK (ie BRISTOL) rather than in POONA, INDIA? It would be useful to find out if JB STEWART had a studio in or around the BEDMINSTER area of BRISTOL. I'll ask when I visit the BRISTOL Record Office.
regards
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Did you read the link I posted?
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yes, I did read it before I posted my reply, many thanks.
The article you kindly highlighted mentions FB Stewart, which is possibly related to JB Stewart mentioned on the photo? I don't hold the original photo and the photographer's name isn't on the reprint so I guess the relative who provided it might have misread the name as JB Stewart?
Based on the dating information kindly provided by others the photo is likely to be a great grandmother (not the desired gg grandmother :). She was born and raised in BEDMINSTER, BRISTOL and would have been very unlikely to have had a reason to visit INDIA, although it's not impossible. Is there a way I could find this out? Hence my subsequent query about whether JB / FB Stewart might have had a studio in the BRISTOL area.
regards
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Don't think there was a JB...can't find any references to one.
Have you tried this site? Some interesting stuff in it.
http://www.new.fibis.org/
Cheers,
China
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Agree with the others that this is a photo of a young lady, perhaps late teens/early twenties, taken around the mid 1900s - so, someone born 1885-1890 or so.
I think it highly unlikely that a photographer using a card stating Poona would be based in Bristol.
It's more probable that this lady is not who you think it is, and may even be someone unrelated to you - a family friend, perhaps.
Cheers
Prue
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I wondered that initially, but the facial features (eyes, nose, & mouth) are the absolute image of my grandmother (whose mother would be the person in the photograph); she was born in 1889 which aligns with the dating of the photo as circa 1905 & that of a teenager, & with the HARDING name written on the back of the photo it makes it seem likely this is a picture of my ggrandmother (albeit with such an unusual hairstyle! :)
But why she would be in INDIA is definitely a mystery, for now, unless perhaps the photographer or his son set up a studio in the BRISTOL area and was using the same photographic paper as the studio in INDIA ?
as far as I know there weren't any relatives in the army (or in INDIA) although the ggrandmother did have a younger half brother, born 1897, who was in WWI (regiment details unknown).
Dull question perhaps, but how would I find out if a relative travelled to INDIA eg were passports required?
regards
regards
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thanks chinakey, what an interesting website! I'm amazed by the different sites that rootschat members kindly highlight :)
the name BOYLAND appears 3 times. Although the dates are too early for my ancestor (born 1889) it's possible they are relatives on her father's side of the family. I think there's another rootschatter who is researching the BOYLAND name so will contact them in case they have more information.
regards