Picture Puzzles

Most of us have mysterious old photographs in our own collections.  They may have been given to you because of your interest in family history or because the executor of an estate didn't want to throw them away.  Maybe some photos have a first name but not a date, or there's partial information passed on from family lore.  But most such images haunt us with their lack of identifying information.

By consulting city directories you can establish when a photographer was in business (note the imprint at the bottom).  This is a picture of my grandfather as a baby around 1887.

Women had short, frizzed bangs, popular around 1890.  Dress with tight sleeves and high, puffed shoulders was in style only briefly.

Man's basic black sack suit and buttoned vest suggest early 1890s. This is a photo of my biological great grandparents in their wedding photo.

The earliest type of photographic image, the daguerreotype, was on a shiny metal surface.  It actually needs to be held at a particular angle in order to see the image.  It was used for a relatively brief 20-year period.  But another type of metal image, the tintype, was introduced in 1856 and remained popular until the early 20th century.

The presence of a photographer's name, also known as an imprint, can be a shortcut to deciding on a time frame.  In the 19th and early 20th century,  photographers could order cards preprinted with their name and address on either the front or the back.  They would then mount photographs on the cards.  The resulting combination provided a sturdy support for the image and advertising for the photographer.

One of the most important details in the dating process involves clothing.  Clothing elements become key to narrowing down the date.  In general, fashion changes are most notable in the accessories of a woman's costume such as hats, hairstyle and jewelry.

Photographers generally used similar props in their images.  By grouping photographs together that have similar internal details you may discover that you have a number of images taken by the same photographer around the same time.

The intimacy in the way a young couple is seated together may suggest they are sitting for either an engagement photograph or, more likely, a wedding portrait.  In a group portrait, the central figure may be the oldest member of the family or the most successful.  Photographers carefully positioned individuals within a picture and included props that suggested a context.

If you have any old photos, I would love for you to send them to me.  I have a photo of my grandfather's brother.  I'm just not sure which brother it is, possibly Will.  If you know, please leave a comment.