Old, Old Family Pictures


My dad is always telling me to label pictures. He points out that a generation from now, the photos that we think "Oh, we'll always know who that is" will pass to another generation who didn't know those people when they were young. And that is why we have so many interesting untitled pictures that we know are family members in an old family album but no clue as to who they are. The photo above is an interesting example....what was so important about this particular baby that he/she is surrounded by all these women? I think a couple of them in the back row on the right as these little girls below, all grown up (but reverse their order to match the people I think they are).


For those of you who know how to date 19th century fashion, about when could you place these pictures above and below based on the dress styles? I'm thinking the picture above is somewhere around the last decade of the 1900's or the first decade of the twentieth century? And that the picture below is in the late 1880's?

Any help is appreciated!

2 comments:

Jennifer Rosbrugh said...

I don't do much photo dating but here goes -
Ladies: The sleeves are definitely after the 1890s, but look at the lady standing on the far right. Her sleeves are fitted on the bicep but flair out near the wrist - a definite fashion in the early 1900s (1899 - 1906?).

The top knot of hair confuses me but I can see that the knot becomes the base for the huge Gibson Girl styles around this time and into the early 1910s. (The center girl is getting it.)

Girls: Harder one as I don't have a lot of study in children's clothing. But your first thought of 1880s is probably close. Although the symmetrical trim points to the late 1870s.

Hope this helps!
Jennifer

Kingfisher Farm said...

This is 1870, 188o!! I have no doubt. Is the photo paper? REmember C d'V's in paper came out out in the civil war, tintypes went out quickly by the 1880's. This style of dress was quite popular on fashion dolls in 1870-80. Pam
PS ask Rachael too.


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keep you from doing what you can do."

John Wooden