Genealogy Chat

Thanks Victoria! So, Tom.....if its earlyish Edwardian, could it be the people you are after? I still wish there had been some personal description columns on the census forms! Merry

Merry - a shingle haircut is what you have called a 'bob' - longer at the sides and tapered up the back, the shaping done to the underlayers of hair leaving the top smooth. Victoria

Thanks everyone for looking at it for me, now just to find out who it is.lol. Tom

Ive got the photo now too and though I originally said 1905ish - looking at it I get a feeling its a bit earlier - though really still around turn of century.

The photographers, A James, were advertising at their address in Ramsgate Street, Louth in 1885, 1889 and 1896 (From Kelly's directories on the Historic Directories website.) Then there's a gap in the directories until 1919, when the firm name had changed to Edward C Woods. You could try Louth Library for further Trade Directories in the gap, to see when Arthur James stopped trading from that address. Unless he continued using his old cards for printing the photos, this would give a safer estimation than our guesses about their clothing!! Merry

I forgot to mention the rustic seat that are sitting on in the photographers studio!! I have some of my grandfather and his siblings as children sitting on the ''same'' seat, (except it's been moved to a photographers in Somerset!! lol).......because the younger ones are still kids I can estimate the photo to 1908ish ....... This didn't influence my earlier reply though, as I hadn't noticed it until afterwards! Merry

Having seen the picture and also found a fashion reference book I had forgotten I had (too much wine)......I am backtracking to the late Edwardian period! I hadn't realised the tie for women had come in my then and everything else in the photo smacks of 1908-1910ish. Man's fairly tight looking striped trousers worn with a jacket with high lapels and a waistcoat with pocket watch and chain all fit with the time frame. The woman's tiny waist and very tight blouse with the really BIG leg o' mutton sleeves went out before WW1. Though the blouses were still tight fitting, the sleeves became tight at the top (I always think they would have had trouble reaching forward without something giving way!) The only thing that looks out of place in the photo is the woman's hair! This was putting me off when you mentioned it, as I imagined a ''flapper girl'' with a bob haircut - chin length at the front and cropped short at the back. That's not what we have here. Actually, I do wonder if she has a bun at the back and the majority of her hair isn't cut. You see there is no hair showing at all at the back of her neck, which would support this idea, but she seems to have had the front part cut in a rather manly way!! .....Just looked again. .....I DO think her hair is long at the back, but in a bun!!! In fact, are the parts at the sides actually going backwards towards the bun? Her hair is quite wavey, so it's hard to be certain.......the little fringe gives the impression of short hair, but I think it's just that.....an impression! How old are they?? Around 30?? I always find it difficult to judge! Finay say?? 1905 - 1910. Merry

Thanks Georgina - just found that on the google. Ozibird - thanks - will check that out.

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

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

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.

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!

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

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

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!

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

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...

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.

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

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