A LOVELY OLD LADY

[Rapunzel]

Happy New Year 2010!

Can anyone date of this picture for me please? A gentle tidy would be appreciated if possible too.

Rapunzel

[terry h]

Sorry can't help with date but a wee tidy

Terry

[Finley 1]

now that's darn good!!! xin

[RecycledHippy]

Another

Hippy

[chinakay]

The clothing the lady is wearing suggests late 1850s or early 1860s....although elderly ladies may have been slightly out of style. Could we see the whole thing please, including the outer corners, and if there is any printing on the back a scan of that would also be helpful.

D Whyte apparently started taking photos in Inverness sometime in the 1860s, and there is a picture of him here:
http://www.ambaile.org.uk/en/item/item_page.jsp?item_id=20961

Cheers,
China

[Rapunzel]

Your 'wee' tidy is terrific Terry - as is yours Hippy - thanks to you both.

China this is all I have, sorry.

I looked up D. Whyte and saw that he only moved to Inverness from Ayrshire in 1860 so it must have been then or shortly after.

She was widowed in 1868 and died in 1903. As she had 14 children I doubt if she had enough money to keep up with the fashion. As she was old she probably didn't bother too much either.

Thank you all for your time.

Rapunzel 

[chinakay]

Rapunzel, are you sure this is who you've been told it is? She died in 1903? And she already looks in her sixties in the photo? She might have been out of date in her fashion but...40 years out of date??

Cheers,
China

[Rapunzel]

Dear China

I received this from a 'cousin' who is a direct descendant so I'm pretty sure there's no mistake - I have others of her family too.

She was born in 1815 and died in 1903 aged 88. Perhaps her childbearing and hard working aged her more quickly or the photo must have been nearer 1870 when taken...?

Rapunzel

[chewboy]

I'd say she was aged late 50s at the very youngest, and probably ten years older.  This would put her way out of fashion.

Tough one.

Will accept to be wrong

Mark