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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: verezzi on Thursday 28 August 14 15:10 BST (UK)
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Hi,
My wife is trying to date a photograph which we believe to be her great grandmother, the photo is coloured in and is a postcard, just wondering if anyone on here would be able to give us a date for it as it will hopefully help us confirm who it is.
Many thanks,
Dan
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Edwardian, I would say. Either side of 1910. The lady looks to be in her 30's, possibly 40's if you know the birth date of your wife's great grandmother. She would have to be born around 1870 ish if it was her.
Kind Regards
AJ
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Many thanks for the speedy reply, she was born in 1875 so that would be a good match, thank you very much! We have a few old photos we are trying to sort through, my wife had written down decades ago who it was- based on what her mum told her- but she has written that someone in a separate photo is also this person and they don't look too alike so it made us all unsure!
Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it,
Dan
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I believe the white border was introduced on postcards around 1915 for economy during WW1...but that only dates the postcard not the photo. There has a been a crude attempt at adding colour.
Carol
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Thanks Carol,
I think that puts it on even safer ground datewise, thank you!
Dan
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Agree with Carol.
The dress style would put it late WW1 but as an older lady she may have worn this into the early 20's.
The bordered cardstock & the back are about right for 1915-20.
jim
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But why does a married woman need a postcard of herself? Was it for sending to soldier sons or husband? World War I ?
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Thanks for the continued comments, the photo belonged to my wife's gran who was born around 1912 when her mum was 37, perhaps the photo was part of a series with my wife's gran as a young child with the other photographs from the series now lost? Who knows!
Thanks again for all the help,
Dan
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Hi Dan...I gave her a little tidy...hope you don't mind.
Carol
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And a cooler version...but..you don't have to have them if you don't want ;)
Carol
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Hi again,
They look fabulous, my wife will be pleased when she gets in. I am always impressed with the work people do dating and restoring pictures on here, fantastic stuff!
Dan
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Most postcards from this time were never sent or were sent with an accompanying letter.
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Jim beat me to it...the postcard was just a popular style of photo production and was not really intended to be sent through the mail. We very rarely see one that has been stamped and addressed. The big advantage to the style is there are dating clues.
Cheers,
China
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Ive never seen any woman in a photo before wearing 3 rings on one finger,looks like 2 bands & a signet ring,is this unusual or has anyone seen this before.
Jenn
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Hello,
Thanks for the continued comments, everyone has been so helpful. I think the dates and information match who we believed it to be. Interesting about the postcard photos as I have a few of those myself.
As to the rings, I noticed that and they are quite prominent too. The story behind the lady is that she married a gentleman up in Scotland and then ran away from him taking their daughter with her, she set up with a widowed gentleman and had children with him but they didn't marry until many many years later so technically she wasn't married to her 'husband' at the time of the photo so if one of those rings is a wedding one it could be the one from her original marriage or one for show. They set up together in 1906 but didn't marry until the 1940s.
Anyway thanks again for all the help!
Dan
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Edwardian, I would say. Either side of 1910. The lady looks to be in her 30's, possibly 40's if you know the birth date of your wife's great grandmother. She would have to be born around 1870 ish if it was her.
Kind Regards
AJ
AJ I'm absolutely agree with you, it's either side of 1910.
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Did she have any sons, Its only a thought but a signet ring on a wedding finger seems odd to me,unless the photo could be more 1914 & the ring belonged to a son who gave it to his mother to wear while he was away fighting.
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Hi,
She had a stepson who probably fought, he would have b9 when she started to raise him and 17 in 1914. That's quite interesting about the signet ring, I had not heard about that done in wartime and gives a greater depth to the photo.
Thanks again,
Dan
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Ive never seen any woman in a photo before wearing 3 rings on one finger,looks like 2 bands & a signet ring,is this unusual or has anyone seen this before.
Jenn
I wear 3 rings on the ring finger on my left hand. My wedding ring, eternity ring and engagement ring.
My mother did the same
Irene
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This photo is absolutely not before 1910 and the v-shaped neckline was not seen until 1913/14.
Cheers,
China
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Thank you China, I am really thankful for everyone's comments and everyone seems to have a agreed a general date, brilliant stuff!
Best regards,
Dan
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My grandmother also wore three rings, her wedding ring her engagement ring and she wore her mothers wedding ring that was given to her when her mother died.