Date and unknown photographer c1862 County Down?

[lthorne]

I am trying to find information about my great grandmother way back. This photo was taken between 1861 to 1862. This is because it had to be on a ship to New Zealand in Jan 1863.

I have had Auckland Art Gallery experts look at it, and the curator said it is a painted photograph, and as none of this type are known in NZ, it must be from County Down, Ireland. It is about 20 x30 inches or so. It is in reverse, so said a lantern photo with T97 written in the corner.

Has anyone seen any other examples? Know the photographer / artist? I presume Belfast.

[jim1]

This is 1870's.
You won't see a woman with dress or hairstyle like this in the 60's.
Unlikely to be a painted photograph unless it was an enlargement
of the original but I've never seen one enlarged to this size.

It is in reverse, so said a lantern photo with T97 written in the corner.

What does this mean?

Although it's difficult with regard to women to tell if a photo is in reverse (& in the 1870's there's no reason why it should be) you can see she has her right hand over her left.
This is a typical 1870's pose for an unmarried woman.

For comparison.

[lthorne]

Hi Jim, T97 is presumed to be the photographers code. All photos are 'enlargements' unless contact prints, aren't they? In the 1870's in New Zealand there are plenty of similar examples by Gottfried Lindauer that i have seen. The expert has not erred. There are modern techniques to ascertain what it is. My date is correct as I have stated and she was married at the time. Thanks for writing though!

[~buttons~]

Lovely picture of an unmarried woman from the 1870, not 1860's.

She looks to be in her early/mid 20's.

Edit to add:

If she was the lady "Ellen" from one of your earlier posts - then it's unlikely Ellen was only 15 or 16 in this picture.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01py7/ 
"Thomas left Portaferry after his father died in 1861 for New Zealand with Ellen/Eleanor Roberts, his wife (born 1845) "

[aghadowey]

I am trying to find information about my great grandmother way back. This photo was taken between 1861 to 1862. This is because it had to be on a ship to New Zealand in Jan 1863.
I have had Auckland Art Gallery experts look at it, and the curator said it is a painted photograph, and as none of this type are known in NZ, it must be from County Down, Ireland. It is about 20 x30 inches or so. It is in reverse, so said a lantern photo with T97 written in the corner.
Has anyone seen any other examples? Know the photographer / artist? I presume Belfast.

Wondering if it could have been done at a later date from an earlier (1870s) photograph? It's not clear from your original post if the curator meant there wouldn't have been such a picture done in N.Z. in 1860s or at all (although image is later that 1860s).

Years ago a phtograph expert from museum was giving a talk and we were invited to bring interesting old photos. I brought one of a man and woman (brother and sister). Knew their names, when they were born and latest date it could have been taken as sister left Ireland and settled in Australia. The expert said the mount was quite a bit later that the image and it appears that an earlier image was re-ordered from the local photographer and printed on the current mount.

[lthorne]

I have a number of questions in my own mind too about this image, but until I find something similar, they will remain. I am open to dates, hence why I took it to the gallery. I have reported their response.

So if you have seen something similar to this large portrait, please respond, thanks. In either NZ or Ireland.