Beyond Help?

[SueTeakle]

I would love to know who this lady is, we found her under the floorboards when renovating the top floor of our house.  The photo is in very poor condition, is it possible to do anything with it?

<img src="http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a65/SueTeakle/Scan10003.jpg" alt="Image hosted by Photobucket.com">



Regards, Sue

[deadants]

Hi Sue,
  Well as far as finding out who the lady is will be a case of researching the history of your house and doing the the usual searches at the local library for council rates etc. The photographer W.J. Dovey may be a clue. There are some links at the top of the board that may help in that regard.

I have had a go at cleaning the photo. I was not sure about her hair so I took my best bet.

[SueTeakle]

Thankyou so much for that deadants, you`ve done a wonderful job!    I am hoping to find out who this lady is eventually, I have a couple of ideas but nothing definite as yet.  We are lucky in that we know approximately when our house was built, c1835-40, and the deeds should give other information.  I`ve tried to find info on the photographer, W.J. Dovey of Weymouth, but so far no luck, if anyone has any knowledge of Mr Dovey I would be grateful for any details.
May I ask what is your best guess at a a year for the photo?  I`m hopeless at these things!  If anyone else reading this can help I would be so happy!

Thanks again deadants, you`ve really brought this lady to life 

Regards, Sue

[PrueM]

I would put her about 1890-95, judging by the shape of the sleeves, the bodice and skirt, and the coloured edging to the card.
Sue, check out the links in the "Conservation and Restoration" topic at the top of this board - there are lots of sites to help you date photos.
Anyone else?
Prue

[SueTeakle]

Thankyou Prue, I`m hoping this might be the lady who lived in this house in 1901.  She was a Miss Jane Wigmore, unmarried and aged 60 according to the 1901 census.  I`m hopeless at "aging" people so always grateful for advice.

Regards, Sue

[Hackstaple]

Assuming the mystery lady is dressed in a fashion of about 1895 - very possible - then the woman in the photo is not someone who would be 60 in 1901. It is of a much younger lady - I would guess her age at not over 30.

[PrueM]

Definitely - about 25-30 years old in this pic, so she would only have been about 31-36 in 1901.

Maybe the owner's daughter?  Or someone completely unrelated?  Possibilities are endless!

Prue

[PrueM]

Oh, and I'd modify my dating guess to be not as early as 1890, I think the sleeves are a bit too puffy for that time.  She is definitely not of the late 1890s though, unless she was very unfashionable    as the sleeves got ridiculously large and fluffy towards the end of the century.  I would plonk her in the mid 1890s.

[SueTeakle]

Thanks Hackstaple, and again Prue, I thought it was a long shot.  Not being sure of the age of the photo I thought if it was taken c1880 it might be about right.  It`s so difficult to tell!  

Regards, Sue