My mother, now in her 90's but still possessed of all her marbles, believes that this is a photo of her great-grandmother (1836-1927), Caroline Maccabee. However, a belief is all it is. She never met her great-grandmother and when she acquired the photograph from her aunt, there was nobody left alive to identify the subject. However, Caroline did spend all her life in Berkshire and was born near Newbury; I note that the card surrouding the photo appears to bear the inscription 'Hawker & Son, Newbury'
The photo is mounted on, and integral to, card, so card and photo cannot be separated. There is nothing on the back of the card.
It looks to me as though the subject is about 40, which, if she is Caroline Maccabee, would mean that the photo was taken in the late 1870s. To my mind, the photo is far too good to have been taken then, which makes me think that it is of someone else.
I researched the photographer's name and arrived at this site. I am pleased to see that the name of Hawker is known, but note that the son was not incorporated into the name until some time after the 1870s, which, again, suggests that this is not Caroline.
I note that there are contributors to the site who can identify dates from clothes.
Can anyone date this photo?
Given the subject's white hair (which could, of course, be blonde) would anyone say that she is much older then 40?
Does anyone else think that she is looking at a photo album?
I would love find out before it is too late to tell my mother whether she likely to be right or not.
