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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: Avondale16 on Thursday 14 June 18 11:41 BST (UK)

Title: Improve & date this image please
Post by: Avondale16 on Thursday 14 June 18 11:41 BST (UK)
Another tintype where again I'm not sure who the young lady is. Could the image have a clean up please & a date for when it was taken would be a great help.

Keith
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: japeflakes on Thursday 14 June 18 18:15 BST (UK)
..
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: jim1 on Thursday 14 June 18 18:37 BST (UK)
A young married woman c. 1870's.
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: Avondale16 on Thursday 14 June 18 19:03 BST (UK)
Thank you Japeflakes for the clean-up which much appreciated - nice to able to see more detail now on this old image.
Keith
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: Avondale16 on Thursday 14 June 18 19:04 BST (UK)
A young married woman c. 1870's.

Thanks Jim - that certainly helps me
Keith
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: DrDude45 on Thursday 14 June 18 21:22 BST (UK)
Here's my offering. Hope you enjoy!
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: Avondale16 on Thursday 14 June 18 21:29 BST (UK)
Here's my offering. Hope you enjoy!

That's a great restore DrDude - thanks so much. The original image was very dark & marked so this is quite a transformation. It looks an odd setting for a portrait  :-\
Keith
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: DrDude45 on Thursday 14 June 18 21:42 BST (UK)
Glad you're happy.

The setting is unusual to be sure. I'm curious if this is a postmortem photo. Many people do have that gaunt look in photos of the time, however, the total composition of the photo does pose that as a possibility. If so, it could have been done at the mortuary or embalmers right before final preparations were done.

If it's not a PM photo, I'd have to say she doesn't necessarily look sad as she does exhausted.
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: Avondale16 on Thursday 14 June 18 21:59 BST (UK)
Glad you're happy.

The setting is unusual to be sure. I'm curious if this is a postmortem photo. Many people do have that gaunt look in photos of the time, however, the total composition of the photo does pose that as a possibility. If so, it could have been done at the mortuary or embalmers right before final preparations were done.

If it's not a PM photo, I'd have to say she doesn't necessarily look sad as she does exhausted.

Wow! I hadn't considered that she might be deceased - she certainly looks unwell & I am questioning why you would have such an unflattering image taken. Would it be usual to have the eyes 'open' in PM photo?
Keith
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: DrDude45 on Thursday 14 June 18 22:12 BST (UK)
If you look at PM photos, all the deceased have their eyes open. Simple morticians glue makes it possible.
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: Avondale16 on Thursday 14 June 18 22:25 BST (UK)
If you look at PM photos, all the deceased have their eyes open. Simple morticians glue makes it possible.

Well you learn something new everyday on RC. I wondered if it might have been a prison image?
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: DrDude45 on Thursday 14 June 18 22:32 BST (UK)
Probably not prison. Too well dressed for that. Same with asylum, even if it's just for TB or something, you wouldn't be that well dressed.
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: Treetotal on Thursday 14 June 18 22:41 BST (UK)
I don't see anything  to suggest a PM photo....her posture is self supporting with no sign of a posing stand, the hands are relaxed and her eyes are focussed.
Carol
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: DrDude45 on Thursday 14 June 18 22:43 BST (UK)
Again, it's just a possibility. The head supporting is one of the things that does call it into question. It's still a possibility that would explain the overall setting and appearance. The piping to her left is also a bit of a twist to the puzzle as well. Makes it seem more like it's taken in a basement, storage or similar type area.

Do we know where the photo was taken?

Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: Avondale16 on Thursday 14 June 18 22:46 BST (UK)
I don't see anything  to suggest a PM photo....her posture is self supporting with no sign of a posing stand, the hands are relaxed and her eyes are focussed.
Carol

Thanks Carol - just an unusual setting & slightly odd look.
Keith
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: DrDude45 on Thursday 14 June 18 23:14 BST (UK)
Avondale, do we know where the photo was taken (if not exactly, perhaps country or region)?
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: Avondale16 on Thursday 14 June 18 23:28 BST (UK)
Avondale, do we know where the photo was taken (if not exactly, perhaps country or region)?

Difficult to say for sure but most likely to be either East Sussex or Suffolk - came to me with other photos of family on my maternal side but could of course potentially be somewhere else in the UK.
Keith
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: DrDude45 on Thursday 14 June 18 23:39 BST (UK)
Ah, ok. Trying to get an idea based on the architecture and all. I'd still have to go with it being in a basement or the storage area. The exposed piping just doesn't gel with it being in the main room of a house.  Just my 2 cents.
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: Avondale16 on Thursday 14 June 18 23:44 BST (UK)
Ah, ok. Trying to get an idea based on the architecture and all. I'd still have to go with it being in a basement or the storage area. The exposed piping just doesn't gel with it being in the main room of a house.  Just my 2 cents.

Thanks DrDude you have certainly got me thinking - I really need to identify the woman if i can.
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: DrDude45 on Thursday 14 June 18 23:52 BST (UK)
Ah, ok. Trying to get an idea based on the architecture and all. I'd still have to go with it being in a basement or the storage area. The exposed piping just doesn't gel with it being in the main room of a house.  Just my 2 cents.

Thanks DrDude you have certainly got me thinking - I really need to identify the woman if i can.

I always like to consider all the possibilities.  When in doubt ask questions. If someone doesn't  want to give you the answers, ask someone who will.

Best of luck to you.
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: Trishanne on Friday 15 June 18 00:45 BST (UK)
Hi Keith, this has turned out to be a very interesting photo. The lady appears to be head of the household as she is wearing the chatelaine with keys on and her dress is very detailed. This however doesn't fit with the very mundane background, as Dr Dude says it does appear to be a basement or similar, so why would she choose this setting?
I do hope you will let us know if you ever identify her.
Pat
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: Avondale16 on Friday 15 June 18 10:33 BST (UK)
Hi Keith, this has turned out to be a very interesting photo. The lady appears to be head of the household as she is wearing the chatelaine with keys on and her dress is very detailed. This however doesn't fit with the very mundane background, as Dr Dude says it does appear to be a basement or similar, so why would she choose this setting?
I do hope you will let us know if you ever identify her.
Pat

Thanks so much for the restore Pat - much appreciated. When you say she appears to be head of the household would that be her own or someone else's (i.e could she be in service?). The whole feel of the image to me is that it was not her choice to be photographed. Also as this is another tintype is the image reversed & if so would that mean her ring is actually on her right hand - oh dear I'm getting very confused by this one.  ???
Keith
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: a-l on Friday 15 June 18 11:38 BST (UK)
I don't think it is a pm photo. She is sitting sideways on the chair without support and she  is far too focused to be dead.
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: Trishanne on Friday 15 June 18 12:27 BST (UK)
Keith from what I understand the chatelaine usually held the keys to all the locks in he house, the wine cellar, private rooms etc. It was usually worn by the lady of the house, the wife of the owner and only she had access to certain areas that the servants couldn't go to.
In a very large house, it could be the housekeeper. I wouldn't think she is a housekeeper though, her dress and jewellery look too expensive for that.
I did reverse the image to begin with, but I realised the ring would be on the wrong hand so I turned it back. I really am not sure about that.
Pat
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: Ruskie on Friday 15 June 18 12:54 BST (UK)
I agree that this is not a PM photo.

It looks to have been taken outside due to the good light,  and the whitewashed wall makes me think it could have been taken outside a back door or in a yard.
Title: Re: Improve & date this image please
Post by: Avondale16 on Friday 15 June 18 13:02 BST (UK)
Thanks to a-l & Ruskie regarding your opinions on the image - I have to say I am somewhat relieved it is not a PM photo.
Keith