Please date my great grandfathers !!

[RobinEssex]

Can anyone place an approx date on the photos below for me please?

This is my paternal great grandfather, Joseph Brown, who was born in 1875.
The photo is the postcard type.



And this, sitting down, is (I think?) my maternal great grandfather William South, born in 1878.




many thanks
Rob

[chinakay]

Is there a line down the middle of the postcard? That's about the only way to date this one, as the clothing spans about a century

Cheers,
China

[RobinEssex]

Thanks for your reply, China. 

There isn't what i would call a distinctive dividing line down the middle but there is a very faint trace of a partial one in the top half of the card. So i would say No, there isn't a line down the middle.

Otherwise, it has Post Card printed at the top, with Communication printed on the lhs and Address Only on the rhs.

Far left,written side on against the edge,is the photographers studio address:
SEAMAN, 31 High Street & 41 St Botolph's St, Colchester.

Joseph was a builders labourer and it really does look as if he called into the studio on his way home from work.   

[chinakay]

Could you give us a scan of the back please Robin?

Photos printed on postcards became popular around 1900, but the earliest ones didn't have a space provided for a written message. In 1902 written communication was allowed and the card was usually printed with a line down the middle.

So I'd say yours is post 1902. That's all I can tell you, sorry.

Cheers,
China

[RobinEssex]

Thanks for the info, China.

Here's a scan of the rear of the postcard. The corner was cut off way back whilst the handwriting is that of my late mother and only dates from around twenty years ago when she was identifying all the old family photos.

[chinakay]

Okay, there's no stamp box in the upper right corner...as far as I know that puts it post 1923...

Cheers,
China

[RobinEssex]

Thanks again China for your continued feedback,

post 1923 would make my gt grandfather 48+ which he does look.....maybe the photo was a 50th birthday present? 

Can anyone offer a rough date for the lower of the two photos in my original post, please?