Jennings family, rotherhithe around 1907/08 Tower Bridge Photographic Company

[becth]

I have a scan of this photo of my grandfather b1905, his big brother b1903, and a baby born 1907.
I dont think the boy on the left looks 2 1/2 years old though.  the baby died at two months old nov 1907.

[Treetotal]

Hi and welcome to RootsChat, the dates that you give are about right for the photo, although the boy on the left looks big for the age you give.
Carol

[IgorStrav]

Lovely photo.  I agree with Carol about the age of the boy on the left.

If you are dating it by the youngest child, is it at all possible that there was another baby who died? 

There were very many sad infant deaths.  You might be able to tell from the 1911 census details about children born to the marriage, and also looking at GRO where you can search for other children born with the mother's maiden name.

[becth]

Hi, yes the baby, Frederick born 8 Sep 1907 ,  in this picture died shortly after this photo in Nov 1907.
There was another baby Florence, that was born August 1908,  the following year,  but I feel it cant be a photo of that baby as there was a matching photo of the father done with the same backdrop. I am presuming it was done at the same time as the family portrait.
The father, Arthur Leonard Jennings died on 5th April 1908, the baby Florence was born 20 Aug 1908 and his death left the wife was destitute so I doubt she would have the money to buy photographic sitting and the photo. 
Though her wearing all black made me wonder if it was mourning clothes or was it just  an outfit from the photographer?

[IgorStrav]

Hmmm, I wonder what others think?

I am a little more comfortable with your grandfather, born in 1905, being 3 or more, rather than 2 and a half, with the baby being little Florence aged c 3/4 months?  (doesn't look as if the baby can really hold head up as yet).  And his big brother would then be 5 or 6?

Backdrops might be fairly standard so matching with the father's sitting might not be so much of a clue.

Whilst it doesn't help here, the clothes may or may not be mourning black, as dark colours would come out black in a black and white photo.

Interested to see what others think.

[Neale1961]

In my opinion, the baby is older than 6-8 weeks; more like 5-6 months.
The youngest boy looks about 4; the older about 6.
So I think the photo is likely taken late 1908 or early 1909 (from the birth years you have provided).
Is the baby wearing a bracelet around her left wrist, or is that a shadow or mark on the photo?

[Treetotal]

I agree with Igor and Neale, more likely to have been taken later after she lost her husband. Many people didn't have photos, my Great Grandmother and her family never had any but I have a mourning photo of her. As she had lost one child and her Husband, maybe she wanted a photo of her with her Children in case they didn't survive.
Carol