Help with the age of "Mrs. Dodson" please

[McGroger]

Jool, would you mind if restorers gave your pic a clean-up ( a "facial lumpectomy" as it were )?
Peter

[Viktoria]

The cap she wears is indeed like Queen Viktoria’s  Widow’s cap.
Whether she set the  fashion or it was tradition I am not certain.
Albert died 1861’December.
Enjoy your purchase.
Viktoria.

[Trishanne]

Jool, I think you are on the right track when you think Queen Victoria for the headdress. Evidently she started to wear this after Albert died, when she was only 42 and it became known as her widows cap.
It became a fashion item but I'm not sure if it was only worn by widows. Is it possible that Mrs Dodson was a widow?

[Trishanne]

Sorry Viktoria, we posted at the same time. Great minds think alike!!
 

[Jool]

Peter, it would be lovely to see the restorers give her a clean up.  I hope the scan is good enough for you to work with, and I suppose it's OK to use the scan now I have paid for the photo and it is in the post.

I had to laugh at "facial lumpectomy" 

[Jool]

Viktoria and Pat, the fact that it may be a widow's cap does concern me a little.  If Mrs Dodson in the photo is a widow, then she is not my Martha.  Both Martha and her husband James died in 1905 

[Trishanne]

Jool, I can only find information that Queen Victoria made this fashionable, but I can't find out whether it was just for widows or for all ladies around that time.
I have got rid of the lumps, I think she does look younger now, I've also given her a bit of colour.
Pat

[Jool]

Thank you Pat for those lovely restores, she does look younger with her lumps removed doesn't she.  I can see her features better now too.  I hadn't noticed that chain on the original photo, your colour restore had brought that out.  Thank you 

[Jool]

Pat, I've been doing some reading on Queen Victoria's widow's cap and so far I can't find any reference to women other than widows wearing it.  I am getting doubtful now that it is Martha but I wont give up yet.

Even if the lady in the photo is not my Martha, at least "Mrs. Dodson" has a home now and I will look after her.  I will have another look on Ancestry and FindMyPast later to see if I can find a widowed Mrs Dodson who may fit the bill.