Date please, group photo by Milburn of Hexham

[JenB]

I'd welcome your thoughts on this cabinet card by Thomas Milburn of Hexham (1871 - 1915). He was working as a photographer in Hexham by 1891 according to the census.

Judging by the sleeves on the ladies' outfits I was wondering if it might be mid-1890's?

No restoration or biographical details are needed 

[Treetotal]

This is really lovely Jen, it is Edwardian. The Family of 5 on the left look like they have been added.
The sleeves are a variation of the 1890s gigot sleeve but more subtle.
Carol

[JenB]

Thank you Carol.

I had wondered about the people on the left - the man at the back in particular looks like a cardboard cutout to me!

Here are a couple of bigger scans

[Gadget]

He doesn't seem to fit - and the man further along and the one on the far right also look very stiff!

It's certainly early Edwardian, as Carol says.  The woman on the right (in my link) is wearing very similar clothing to many of the women in the photo

http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~victorianphotographs/history/date/a1900.htm

Add - there seem to be very few men. Also, some females are probably wearing  clothing from before 1900 by the look of some of the sleeves, suggesting a non-affluent, rural  group.

[arthurk]

I can see what you mean about the 5 on the left looking different, but I think some of this may be the result of over-exposure - possibly a shaft of sunlight hitting them, but more likely, I think, because they are all in lighter-coloured clothing and the photo has been exposed to bring out more detail in the darker areas.

Being hyper-critical (possibly), I wonder if this is the work of a less experienced photographer/processor. I remember watching my father printing from negatives on very primitive home-made equipment, and he would use a piece of card to obscure some areas for a time in order to prevent over-exposure. Surely a late 19th century studio would have known how to do that?

The photo and composition also seem a bit unsatisfactory to me: I think the centre of attention is meant to be the two women seated near the middle, but one of them has moved. They are placed in accordance with the rule of thirds, but slavishly following that has meant that one girl is cut off on the right - and are there others missing altogether? I think other (better?) photographers might have known how to avoid this pitfall.

Just my thoughts - and I know others are better at this than I am.

[Treetotal]

Here are two examples of the Masculine look that appeared in the late Victorian/Early Edwardian era.
Carol

[JenB]

Thanks Carol, that clarifies things for me.
I agree with your opinions Arthur. Milburn appears simply as a 'photographer' in the 1891, 1901 and 1911 censuses, and is also described as a photographer in his probate entry.
However I've found very few photos indeed by him.
I'll have to have a look through the Hexham Courant on microfilm at the library 9when I can rouse the energy - in short supply at the moment) and see if I can get some more information.

[Treetotal]

I hope you soon feel better Jen.
Carol x

[arthurk]

I agree with your opinions Arthur.

That's reassuring

I can't say I'd have managed to do any better myself, but some things about it just seemed wrong. Obviously they couldn't check the images till they were developed, but I wonder if maybe they took half a dozen and this was simply the best of the bunch - in which case I can only wonder what might have been wrong with the others.