A date for this unknown mother (?) and baby please - England

[stevemiller]

My mother knew of my obsession with family history, but when she died last year she managed to leave a few unidentified photographs, which I had never seen before!

This one has been cut to fit a heart-shaped frame. The reverse just shows the text :
CAR[TE]
UNION POSTA[L]
COMMUNICATION

Is it possible to date this one before I speculate who it could be?

[Viktoria]

I would say Edwardian ,1901-1910.
The full front of the blouse and high neck is typical, plus the hair style.
The full blouse front was like a pouter pigeon , and a milder version of part of the look named The Grecian Bend ,full above the
waist at the front and very full at waist / hips at the back like a bustle ,
In its full form it was ridiculous, women bending forward from the waist in stiff corsets .The full Grecian Bend was much earlier, popular in the 1820’s.
Viktoria.

[Treetotal]

The back shows that it is a divided back postcard which was introduced in 1902 so Victoria's guess isn't far out. The baby looks to be about 3/4 months old.
Carol

[sparrett]

I note your question mark after the word mother in your topic title.

I might venture to suggest the woman is the child's grandmother.

I have a photograph of my mother held by her grandmother and altough the photo was taken in 1913, the clothing worn by her grandmother is of the late 1890's ..
Sometimes older people did not move so swiftly with the changes is fashion.

And still today!

Just a thought anyway.

Sue

[Viktoria]

Yes, many could not afford to move with fashion changes, so a valid point .
Which could mean later than 1910, people -as has been said - did not immediately change their clothes for newer styles.
Viktoria.

[stevemiller]

Firstly, many thanks for all the wonderful input.

Before I start to add some names/dates could I pop a small fly in the ointment?

Although I put England in the header line, I'm beginning to wonder about the wording on the reverse. Could it be a French card?

I ask this because I had a great, great uncle who served on the Western Front throughout the First World War and I can see how the photo would have come into my mother's possession.

Does anyone have knowledge of card design or a possible resource to look at?

[jim1]

If this was taken in France it would mean the woman in it was French.
It's difficult to see why a soldier would have a picture of a French woman
& baby to send home.
The Carte Postale was used from 1905 & I'm wondering if these were
used in the French speaking part of Canada some time after that.
I can see someone emigrating to Canada & sending a photo home or
the lady in it visited a son/daughter & had this taken to bring back
hence the heart shaped frame.

[Treetotal]

In my postcard collection, all the military postcards I have from Belgium bear the words Carte Postale.
Carol

[stevemiller]

I hope I haven't muddied the waters by raising the French angle. It's just that I've not seen these printed headings before (although my knowledge is very limited) and I'm not having much luck trying to find a similar example with online image searches. From the little I have picked up I would expect to see "Correspondance" rather than "Communication" on a French card.

From what survives it would appear that the reverse has NOT been used. So I don't think it would be a question of someone posting it from France or Canada. Rather my 2xgreat uncle could have been given it by the French mother of his child. Perhaps I am in fantasyland, but I would like to see another example of this type of card.

My 2xgreat uncle lived with his nephew (my grandfather) in the last years of his life, so the photo could easily have passed to my mother from my widowed grandmother.

I have to pop out for a while but I'll try some names and ages of more conventional family (!) when I get back.