Can anyone date these photos ?

John Winn

Lt. Colonel
Joined
Mar 13, 2014
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State of Jefferson
These four photos are ones that I recently was given of my great grandmother and gg grandparents. I'm not good at dating clothing so am hoping that some of you photo detectives might be able to get close. I can narrow things down a bit in that:

Amos and Rosina1 are tintypes. Amos died in 1884 and Rosina in 1880 (but I'm sure the photos are much earlier);

Rosina2 is paper, 2.5 x 4 inches, and taken by J.N. Wilson of Savannah, GA, "Photographer and Ferrotyper." Wilson was in business from 1865-1897;

Eliza is paper, 2.5 x 4 inches, and taken by Thomas B. Blackshear of Macon, GA. Thomas retired in 1910 and died in 1911. Also, he wasn't in business until circa 1875.

Thanks for having a go at it.

Top to bottom: Amos, Rosina1, Rosina2, Eliza

Amos.jpg
Rosina1.jpg
Rosina2.jpg
eliza.jpg
 
I am not a clothing expert, but Ill give it a shot because I am interested in receiving notification when others reply.
The dropped sleeve bodice with double front darts, closing with large buttons seem to indicate that the image of Rosina2 was taken in the mid to late 1860's. The size of the buttons increased toward the end of the decade and these are pretty big buttons.

The slimmer skirt, higher sleeve attachment, and false yoke with ruffle, plus the apparent aging of the subject, seem to indicate that Rosina1 is a later image. You mention that she died in 1880. Do you know if she suffered a stoke?
 
I'm not up on the ladies attire date but from his photo (which appears to be a tintype) suite, vest etc I would say 1870 early 80's
 
I am not a clothing expert, but Ill give it a shot because I am interested in receiving notification when others reply.
The dropped sleeve bodice with double front darts, closing with large buttons seem to indicate that the image of Rosina2 was taken in the mid to late 1860's. The size of the buttons increased toward the end of the decade and these are pretty big buttons.

The slimmer skirt, higher sleeve attachment, and false yoke with ruffle, plus the apparent aging of the subject, seem to indicate that Rosina1 is a later image. You mention that she died in 1880. Do you know if she suffered a stoke?

Unfortunately, I don't know anything about the life of Rosina other than some dates so can't say if she had a stroke but now that you mention it it does look that way. I numbered Rosina1 just based on the fact that it's a tintype while Rosina2 is paper and so I thought the tintype would have been earlier.

Thanks for giving it a shot. I appreciate it.
 
I'm was guessing 1860s/1870s on the first three from their clothing and photo types, but I guess that is pretty much a certainty in the first place from their death dates. Not sure how much more they can be narrowed down from that unless you can find that the photographers moved their studio in that period. You could also try looking for dated examples of the photographers work online and compare stylistic differences (like font or decorations) to your photos.

Also, is the card stock of CDV photo of Eliza thicker than the Rosina2 CDV? Rosina2 looks like it is and older-style CDV. It is hard to tell with Eliza from the way it is cropped.
 
I've learned a little in the last hour - the fringed chair arm was patented in 1864 for photography studios (it was adjustable) and popular into the mid-1870s. So, I'm putting Amos at the late 1860s to late 1870s. Anyone disagree ?


I don't think Amos would be late 1870? His Sunday suit is pretty typical of some earlier date. Men can be tougher to date because their best suits worn for photographers tended to be kept forever and ever. Those fringed chairs may have been patented in 1864 but there are photos of them earlier- guessing it was someone jumping on a popular item. Didn't someone discover not long ago the dollar sign had no patent and managed to get one on it? Boy would that be tough, running around suing all of us who use it.

I'd have put Amos as war era and agree with chubachus, tough to narrow down.. IMO, none of the women are before 1866 or so- that teeny collar and bodice the first woman is wearing is ' just ' post war, the little frilled stand up collar in the two last images is typical of the generation whose fathers fought in the war. Nellie Grant's engagement photo by Brady is typical albeit elaborate. She married in 1874. Both Julia and Nellie are terrific as examples on dates- both left a lot of images, both dressed in current fashion and you can easily date photos.
grant nellie 1874.JPG

That still little frill and lady's cravat- 1874.
 
I'm was guessing 1860s/1870s on the first three from their clothing and photo types, but I guess that is pretty much a certainty in the first place from their death dates. Not sure how much more they can be narrowed down from that unless you can find that the photographers moved their studio in that period. You could also try looking for dated examples of the photographers work online and compare stylistic differences (like font or decorations) to your photos.

Also, is the card stock of CDV photo of Eliza thicker than the Rosina2 CDV? Rosina2 looks like it is and older-style CDV. It is hard to tell with Eliza from the way it is cropped.

The card stock seems identical in thickness, has the same rounded corners, and is the exact same size although one was taken in Macon and the other in Savannah.
 
I don't think Amos would be late 1870? His Sunday suit is pretty typical of some earlier date. Men can be tougher to date because their best suits worn for photographers tended to be kept forever and ever. Those fringed chairs may have been patented in 1864 but there are photos of them earlier- guessing it was someone jumping on a popular item. Didn't someone discover not long ago the dollar sign had no patent and managed to get one on it? Boy would that be tough, running around suing all of us who use it.

I'd have put Amos as war era and agree with chubachus, tough to narrow down.. IMO, none of the women are before 1866 or so- that teeny collar and bodice the first woman is wearing is ' just ' post war, the little frilled stand up collar in the two last images is typical of the generation whose fathers fought in the war. Nellie Grant's engagement photo by Brady is typical albeit elaborate. She married in 1874. Both Julia and Nellie are terrific as examples on dates- both left a lot of images, both dressed in current fashion and you can easily date photos.
View attachment 306962
That still little frill and lady's cravat- 1874.

Thanks - that's exactly the sort of information I was hoping for. Very helpful.
 
Thanks - that's exactly the sort of information I was hoping for. Very helpful.
This is a tintype of my gg grandmother and her 3 daughters, taken no doubt in NOLA where they lived in the post war. They had money so these were likely the latest fashion in the big city. My g grandmother is the oldest child and seated on the left. She was born in 1851. The middle sister, standing left, was born in 1857. The youngest, standing right was born in 1863. There is no date but by appearance you can guess by the apparent age of the sisters that it is about 1873-4.
83F5E319-CDEE-4F2E-94F9-F8815B5DDB64.jpeg
 
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