Sisters need help!

[Darwin]

Dear restorers

I would be so grateful if you could repair this photo. They are sisters Harriet and Ellen Sloman (my G Grandmother). They had very hard lives as girls and mothers but they both married good men, lived to be grandmothers and continued visiting each other.

A date would be helpful too. Harriet (on the left) was born in 1869 and Ellen in 1864. The photo must be after 1884 as Ellen is wearing a wedding ring. They had very little money so they wouldn't be up with the latest fashions but they'd have had a shot at it!

many thanks

Jan

[jim1]

The raised shoulder on the sleeves on their bodices known as a kickup was a short lived fashion from 1889-93 when the fuller Gigot sleeve became popular.
Lovely photo & it will look great when its restored.
jim
PS looking at their births would put this at the upper end.

[Darwin]

Thanks for that info about the sleeves Jim. Harriet didn't marry until 1899 so the photo is somewhere between 1884 and 1899 (at a rare interlude when Ellen wasn't hugely pregnant with one of her 13!)

It could well be after 1891 as Harriet was a cook in Surrey then and the photo was almost certainly taken in Exeter (Ellen's home) as Ellen wouldn't have travelled away as a young mother on a very tight budget. At some point after 1891, Harriet returned to Devon and married in 1899.

[rev.ivorbiggin]

one in B&W and one in colour for you,

Ivor

[Darwin]

Oh my goodness Ivor!

These are beautiful - thank you so much!

Jan

[salmynka]

one from me

[Darwin]

That's so lovely! I can really see their faces much more clearly. Many thanks for your time and effort.

[jim1]

so the photo is somewhere between 1884 and 1899

The photo is somewhere between 1890-93.

jim

[Darwin]

so the photo is somewhere between 1884 and 1899

The photo is somewhere between 1890-93.

jim

I hadn't realised we could date it to that degree - this is most helpful Jim. As Harriet was in Surrey for the 1991 Census, that narrows it down even more to 1891 - 93. Thanks for your information.

EDIT: just checked Ellen's children's births. She had a son December 1891 and the next one wasn't born until summer 1994 so that fits with your dates and her waist.

cheers
Jan

PS by 1891. Ellen had born 6 children, 2 of whom had died before their 1st birthday. The next two died at a few months old as well. In total, she had 13 live births with only 7 surviving beyond 1 year.