Genealogy Chat

See below, thanks

I was just wondering if any kind person on here would be able to look at a photograph for me and tell me a rough date from what the people are wearing. The lady is wearing a black skirt with quite a formal shirt with puffy arms and a black with white dots tie. The man is wearing a black jacket - pin striped trousers and what looks like a white tie. He also has a chain pocket watch. If any kind person would be willing to have a look at it for me could you please PM me your e-mail address and I could send you a scan of it. Many thanks, Tom.

Without looking.....a woman in a tie......WW1......that was fashionable.....Same for wearing a blouse and skirt rather than a dress........My g-granddad wore a white tie 1890-1935 so that doesn't help much!! Merry

Puffy blouse screams Edwardian to me. (Werent they called 'leg of mutton' sleeves? Were they in some sort of civil service work/railway/post office clerks, something like that? Im sure there was something on ancestry or somewhere about identifying photos and their era?

Forman shirt (white/creamish, would you guess?) would def be on it's way OUT by the beginning of the 1920's........(though if you were poorer it might stay IN a bit longer).....blouses went softer and more draping in the 1920's. Merry

Hair styles are quite important with dating too. There's a website somewhere with hints for dating photos. Try searching this site for threads about them. Anne

They were actually the richer side, lol. They were originally farmers and then moved to London (the photo says it is in Louth, Lincolnshire - which is where they came from) I was hoping that it would be earlier (and then hopefully my ggg grandparent's, but if it was Edwardian it must be cousins) Thanks.

Hairstyles - He has got short hair (a bit thin on top I think!) He has also got a tash that goes just below the bottom lip on each side. She has got short hair too (don't know how to describe it really) Another thing - she is stood up, he's sat down (significant?)

If she has short hair it indicates a later date rather than an earlier one. I think it was quite common to have the chap sitting down - depended on their relative heights and the photographer's composition. Anne

At the start of WW1 no adult woman would have had her hair cut voluntarily! So it must be later....sorry about that! During WW1 the idea that women could be as good as men came about as women did mens jobs.....by the end of WW1 some women had their hair cut and this accelerated into the 1920's. My gran used to talk about having her hair ''shingled''. Not sure what that is, but it would have been the height of fashion if she was doing it! Merry

Have a google Tom see if you can find some fashion pages - perhaps it is earlier - hard to tell without actually seeing the photos - in my mind I see rather strict formal looking clothes, not flowing fragile stuff that you would associate with Victorians. I have some pics of my family about 1905 and all the girls are wearing long quite straight skirts and high necked blouses with the top part of the sleeves puffed and the second part quite tight down totheir wrists.

Heather - I did google but couldn;t find anything that wonderful - will have another look. The blouse on the woman is quite like you describe - looks very stiff and not very 'flowing'. Will have a google...

Flowing would be after about 1920..... I still think the tie is the main feature to go with as this would have been in fashion the least amount of time...... Maybe the start of WW1 or very late Edwardian through to the end of WWI because of the short hair. Merry

I think you're right Merry. Having looked a bit closer, I'm not sure if it is a blouse and a skirt or whether it is just one dress with different colours. The waist looks very tight and there is a black kind of thick belt going round with a big bow on it. Sorry to be such a nuissance!

Merry, I remember nan having her hair shingled - its sort of close to the head in waves - think 1920 flapper.

I'm sending you my email addy because I can't stand not seeing it another minute!!!! But I won't reply until tomorrow as I'm dog-tired now and have had too much wine! Merry

Thanks Merry. Have just found a site about the back of photos - and looking on that it would suggest 1890's. It has a drawing of the photographers shop with the name and address. Who knows!

Send me the piccy too but I am ditto Merry, too much wine, not enough sleep. I hope some real expert comes on to help you Tom. In the meantime as I stagger to my bed, I shall have a quick flick through my family history mags - Im sure Ive seen somewhere about identifying photos. Nite nite all.

Tom try this website it has Victorian & Edwardian photos. http://www(.)cartes(.)freeuk(.)com/ - Remove brackets. Georgina.

Tom, Have sent you an email. I had a quick look at an old photos website and there is a very similar lady in a boat with the same sort of outfit with a tie. Unfortunately she has a hat on and I can't quite see if she has short hair or not. Anyway have a look at see what you think, the date of the photo is 1905. Van x