Photo Dating

[Dav]

hello could anyone give me some idea when this photo was taken
thanks
Dav

[jim1]

Hello Dav
I can't quite make out what I'm looking at here.
Can you show all of it plus back,assuming you have the original of course.

jim

[Dav]

Hello Jim
I am afraid what you see is all I have got.
we were told it was taken in 1836 but I think that is too early, also I don't think photography was around that early, I was thinking it may have been taken in the 1850s or 1860s but I am only guessing.
Dav

[jim1]

I have to say this is a very unusual picture.To see a young woman bare necked
you would have to go back to the 1850's.Unfortunately I can't see a particular dress style under this lace overjacket.At the moment I'm thinking this is a reprint
of an 1850's picture.The original would have been an Ambrotype,an image on glass.
You can see the pencil lines have been added after this was taken.

jim

[chinakay]

That hairstyle doesn't look right. I wonder if it's somebody in costume...we've had a few of those here.

Cheers,
China

[jim1]

That hairstyle doesn't look right. I wonder if it's somebody in costume

When I first saw this I thought of Joan Baez.

jim

[LizzieW]

That hairstyle doesn't look right. I wonder if it's somebody in costume...we've had a few of those here.

I agree with you China, also the face looks too modern - I know that sounds silly but when you look at old photographs and I have one of my g.grandmother taken in the 1850s, they all seem to have a certain look about them.

Lizzie

[chinakay]

Yes, exactly...and I couldn't see any, but she has a look about her like she's wearing makeup.

And that hairdo looks like it's been teased

[robbo43]

I know we weren't asked for a restore, but does this make anything clearer?  Is that hair an "afro" or is the appearance an artifact of the photography processes?  Where does the ribbon draped either side of her neck come from?

Robert