Can you date these photographs?

[Treehugger]

I have recently met with a long lost branch of my family who have discovered some old Victorian family photograph albums in the attic - quiet a find! Although I am able to identify the younger generations in the albums, some of the older ones are proving difficult and lack any named reference, date or other clues. The albums appear to be commemorating the union of 2 families (although I couldn't see any wedding photographs) and the photographs possibly taken in a studio. I'm guessing that the date of the photographs is around 1880 but am hoping that there might be other clues in the style of dress, photographs or the style of the album itself that forum readers might recognise. The families lived in North London - Willesden at the turn of the 1800/1900s.

There are 2 married couples I'm interested in - Husband A and Wife B, and 2 sets of photographs of Husband C and Wife D, one taken when they were clear younger than the other set.

Thanks in advance for any help - and if you recognise the persons even better:smile5:

http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee435/Treehug7/IMG_0244.jpg

http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee435/Treehug7/IMG_0243.jpg

http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee435/Treehug7/IMG_0245.jpg

http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee435/Treehug7/IMG_0241.jpg

http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee435/Treehug7/IMG_0242.jpg

[Yeates]

There is an invaluable site for photograph and album dating which you may already know:
http://www.
rogerco.freeserve.co.uk/index.htm

Intrigued with your album, I went to this site. First, I think there is a photo of a representative album (1870s) which matches.
http://www.
rogerco.freeserve.co.uk/type/1870salb.jpg
The example on the site and the photos you post have the same cut-out shape in which to insert the photo; and the same decorative line around this shape. The 1870 example has two photos per page. What does your album have?

The examples on this site for 1880s albums were much more ornate. Your album has a more austere presentation as indicated by the 1870 example.

I then went to samples of actual photographs from the 1870s. The fringe-style beard on your photo of the man (older man standing; wife in bonnet sitting) as in
http://www.
oldphoto.freeuk.com/feb/anon2f.jpg
I am wondering if this is a mourning photo? It would be late-mourning as there is white on the lady as well as a preponderance of black. Of course, we don’t know her dress is black---all we know it is a dark shade of whatever color it is.

I put the white collars and more form-fitting dresses to circa 1878. Notice the hair parted in the center as your ladies have:
http://www.
cartes.fsnet.co.uk/date/a1878.htm

There is an 1873 example with a bonnet tied under the chin as your lady has:
http://www.
cartes.fsnet.co.uk/date/a1873.htm

Anyway, here is the ‘page’ that takes you to a listing by year of examples. Look for sleeve-style (tight; loose; mutton-sleeve; that sort of thing); hairstyles (close to head; curls; no curls; bonnet;) color style (upright; white;)
http://www.
cartes.fsnet.co.uk/date/a1873.htm

How I envy your family find. Hope this helps.
Yeates

[Treehugger]

Hello Yeates - many thanks for all this excellent information and for taking the trouble to research it! The albums do look to be from the mid 1870s. The albums had 4 pictures per page.

[Lenore]

http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee435/Treehug7/IMG_0244.jpg[/IMG]

http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee435/Treehug7/IMG_0243.jpg

http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee435/Treehug7/IMG_0245.jpg

http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee435/Treehug7/IMG_0241.jpg

http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee435/Treehug7/IMG_0242.jpg

Hi Treehugger,

When you are looking for wedding pics, I hope you aren't looking for white dresses and veils - these were by no means typical outside the upper classes.

The gentleman in No 0244 was photographed in the 1880s - the high-necked waistcoat, the high-collared jacket, the sloped shoulder-line and the bound edges to the coat all point to this. He is wearing the beard that he wore as a young man in the 1860s.

The lady at 0243 would have had her portrait taken in the late 1860s, maybe early 1870s. That decoration on her bodice is quite typical of the 1860s, and women's hair was pulled back over their ears from 1865 - prior to that their ears were covered.

The couple at 0245 again would have been taken in the late 1860s or early 1870s. The woman is wearing a crinoline, but it appears to be flat in the front, with the widest part of the skirt behind her, which would later be further gathered up into a bustle in the 1870s. The decoration on her sleeves are perhaps more typical of the 1870s. Do you get the feeling she is barely breathing? That corset looks so tight!

0242 shows the heavily decorated front of the bodice, skirts and sleeves of the 1870s, and also her hair is swept up to give her height. in the 1860s the hair was smooth on top.

0241 was taken in the 1860s - those wide sleeves are very typical of the 1860s - if the jacket had been hanging around for a few years it might take it into the early 1870s.


Best wishes,

Lenore