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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: 282daniel282 on Saturday 22 May 21 14:46 BST (UK)
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Hello,
I could do with some help dating this old cabinet card? we have in the family photo collection to see if it can shine some light on the person in it.
It is amongst the collection of a Durham/Northumberland family but was taken in Preston by photographer George Read (not sure what the links are to Preston).
It is much smaller than the rest we have, measures 6 x 10 cm. I have attached photos of the front and back.
Much appreciated!
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George Read(e) occupied studios at the following addresses:
31a Market Place 1877-1905
129 Fishergate 1892
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The cardstock design is mid-late 1880's.
so 1885-90ish.
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Thank you both, really appreciated.
I'm still not quite sure what uniform he is wearing so if anyone could help with that also it would be great :)
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Could it be a Police Officer?
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I too think he's a Policemen.
Carol
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Thanks guys. Does look like it. Now for the task of finding a policeman in the family!
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Could this be his number?
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Oh I never noticed that. It does look like a number. Do you know if that could help identify the person?
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282daniel282 - I fancied having a go at restoring your photo. I can't make out if it's a winter scene, with snow flakes falling and snow on the policeman's coat sleeves where his arms are bent, or if the spots on the photo are damage? What do you think?
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Well done for deciphering his police number, which police have to display to the public by law.
I'm curious as to what he has in his left hand. Maybe a box containing a medal or he's been awarded his sergeant stripes; or maybe a rfectangular iece of the image is missing.
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Welcome to the board, Eggy. Eggy and Rena, I think in both cases it's damage to the photo.
Peter
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I agree with Peter, they look like age spots commonly seen on Carte de Visites of this age.
Carol
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Yes photo is severely damaged. Shame. I'm making sure it's well preserved from now on!
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282daniel282 - as McGregor & Treetotal have commented those spots do look like blemishes and not snow - I'll have a go at cleaning up the photo. However I did ignore the spots and had a go at repairing the crease down the photo and the front cover. This is the photo :-
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252daniel252 - and this is the cover. I couldn't make out all the words in the text in the bottom right hand corner so had to leave a couple of marks on the text :(-
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Rena wondered what he was holding in his hand. I think it is likely his gloves. May be wrong of course :-)
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Thanks Eggy, that looks great!
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As to what he is holding in his hand, it is a mark on the photograph.
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Thanks for clarifying that.
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Rena wondered what he was holding in his hand. I think it is likely his gloves. May be wrong of course :-)
I thought the same :)
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As to what he is holding in his hand, it is a mark on the photograph.
Unusual that - I stared at it and as it appears to be his thumb going across the mark I thought it must be a pair of gloves. When I have a go at removing all the spots from his coat etc. I will also try and cover up those black marks :)
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The way that his had is position suggests that he is holding something, I thought it looked as though someone had coloured it in. Possibly a pair of gloves as mentioned earlier.
Carol
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282daniel282
This one has me and my old software beaten :( . I can't get the policeman's left cheek area to blend with the rest of his face or completely cover up the black marks about his left hand without making it look like he has more than five digits :) I will have to leave it to the professionals - if you manage to get the photo scanned then the there might not be that much difference between the left & right side shades. I'll have to give in - sorry.
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That's okay Eggy thanks for your hard efforts. It looks much improved! (:
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I'm delighted to say that 2 years on I am able to share a success story identifying the mystery photo of the police officer in this post. After looking into my great great uncle's first marriage to a lady called Martha Evelyn Dunn, I discovered from the 1911 census that she was the only child of one Police Sergeant Henry Henderson Dunn, and that the family were living near Ulverston in the South Lakes. I started digging and got in touch with Lancashire Archives who, free of charge, were able to provide assistance to dig out the personnel file of a Henry Dunn who served with the Lancashire Constabulary from 1884 to 1912. From this file they were able to provide details including DOB, place of birth, marriage, and districts served that matched up with the man from the censuses. They also provided his Police Collar Number, and (wollah!), it matched the number in the photograph - 280, giving me the solid evidence needed to confirm the mystery officer. Thank you to those who pointed his collar number out to me as I may have never noticed it myself!
I also searched his name in the British Newspaper Archive and found an amazing article upon his retirement, portrait included, covering his service history and beginnings in Preston, shining a light on why he had his photograph taken there. His daughter and my great great uncle didn't have any children of their own which explains why the photo has come to be in my possession.
I would recommend to anyone interested in researching people who served with the Lancashire Police Constabulary to use the Lancashire Archive search facility (https://policesearch.lancashire.gov.uk/policesearch.asp). Amazingly they have photographs of new recruits pasted in the Examination Books between the years 1875-1878 and 1885-1886, and then from 1886 in special Photograph Books.
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Well done on finding out who is is :)
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Great success story. Well done, it just goes to show a little persistence reaps rewards!
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Thanks for the update, we all love a success story ;D
Carol