Advice required on this photo please

[Mutley]

This photograph is my Grandmother in Ireland. It was supposedly carried by her fiancee during the 1914 - 1918 war. The story is that the stain over her right eye is his blood when he was killed.

I am now not so sure about this. I have found out that she was born in 1900 so that would make her a teenager, she looks much older.

Would the photograph have been returned, with his effects, to his parents?

It also seems to be a photo of a photo. It is in a frame but the frame seems to have a sort of fencing around it, almost looks as if it is placed on the ground. On a gravestone?

Any thoughts would be most welcome.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r297/MutleyBG/NannyDavies1.jpg

[MarkJ]

I would agree that it is a photo which has been (not terribly well) cut out from a photograph of a picture in a mounting .

It is certainly placed on something - either the ground (in which case it is very smooth) or perhaps some sort of chipboard or similar?

Wonder what the object just above the photo is?

The "fencing" doesn't look solid like metal to me. I am wondering if this is a shot taken of the contents of a wallet - and the "fencing" is the little strap things (thonging?) they have in wallets to hold stuff like photos etc in place? It would also fit with the background appearence perhaps...

Mark

[Jan1954]

I agree - the "fencing" certainly looks like it could be the fixtures that hold notes or photographs in wallets.

The background could be the rough side of a leather wallet - and the thing at the top, above the photograph, could be the bottom part of the maker's logo.

[Retlaw]

Had a look at that photo in a photo processing program.
It is a woman in her 30's or 40's she's wearing some sort of
black bow in her hair, and the picture itself is infront of
grave stone, and held in place by a metal grill.

Retlaw.

[christanel]

and the picture itself is infront of grave stone, and held in place by a metal grill.

Retlaw.
Exacly what I thought on first seeing it. The frame actually looks like one of the old picture frames with the fancy carving but some missing on the sides. Also the photo itself resembles some old ones we had which were in convex glass and more the size of a painting. Would it be possible for a small wallet photo to have been reproduced as clear as this?
Christina

[Mutley]

Thanks for looking and replying.
I must admit, I had not thought of the wallet theory. I remember the black elastic type thongs that held money in place but I had always thought that the original picture itself was in, maybe, a silver frame.

Don't know why, I thought that.

Thank you Retlaw, your idea seems to fit except for her age. I think I was also wondering that if she was older, I may just have a photo of her mother instead, my great grandmother, without knowing it.

I do know that my nan married an English soldier in about 1918 so if the story of the photo is true, she did not grieve very long.

Maybe one of the mysteries we all have to endure. :)