Featured Need help identifying age of a photo

These two photos are both of relatives.

The first is my grandmother Lizzie... I knew it's her as soon as I saw her face. She was born in 1884 and I'm thinking the photo was probably taken circa 1905-1915. Does that seem right for the clothing?

The second photo I'm less sure about who it is. She looks similar to my grandmother, but it doesn't strike me that it is her. For this one, I'm thinking it's either her mother or one of her two sisters. I didn't know either one and don't have photos that I know were of them to compare to.

My grandmother's mother, Bessie, was born in 1857 and her sisters were born in 1879 (Jessie) and 1888 (Ester). Based on the clothes and the age of the person in the photo, my hunch is it's Jessie, taken around 1900-1910. What do you all think?

 

I do think both are early 20th century rather than 19th.

 

That's my hunch, too. Even if the clothes and type of photo fit pre-1900, I'm not sure they were in a financial situation to afford photos like this earlier.

 

I'm not sure on either, but that first photo of your grandmother Lizzie sure makes her look like one lovely, classy lady!!!!!!!

 

Aw, thanks!

She was a very independent person and I love how directly she's looking at the camera and the look on her face.

Somewhere around when this photo was taken, she became a nurse instead of continuing to keep the books in her father's variety store. For a woman to be a nurse in that age wasn't considered respectable... to care for a man and to have to touch his body, oh my!

 

I think I would have liked her very much ... Joy.

 

They are both 20th century. I think the first one is later than the second. Is the first one a postcard, or is it mounted on a card that has been cropped away for the image? Her outfit could be from the 'teens.

The second one is mounted on a card that is from the very early 20th century, I'm pretty sure. It could be extremely late 19th, but I am thinking the blousy fit of the shirtwaist was more like early 20th. Will look at a couple of references and be back.

 

She looks and sounds like a wonderful lady, and I love that look on her face as well.

 

Hi,
I love that photo of your grandmother. Her laughing face is priceless and her sitting on a table is just wonderful!!!!!!
greg

 

The photography studio of the second photo is listed on this site, which says it was in the city directory in 1906: https://www.langdonroad.com/le-to-ll

This site is not definitive by any means, but gives a clue.

 

Ok, I looked at 20th Century Photographs Kwik Guide (author Gary Clark), which I recently bought. In his books the author studied many photos, all dated, and gives examples by dates as well as descriptions related to trends in posing, types of prints, card mounts, clothing, hairstyles, etc. As he points out, clothing is not definitive because people, especially older people, often wear clothes that are long out of style. In this case I think my initial assessment is at least close to correct. Suits that look like that, sort of close fitting, seem to be worn in the 'teens. I own a photo dated in 1899 that has a very similar card style to the second one. The book I just checked has some early 20th century photos - first decade of 20th - with similar clothing and card styles compared to the second photo. Since both of the women are young I think they were likely to be wearing styles contemporary to their time.

 

Your first picture reminds me of a picture I have of one of my Grandmothers = same hat, same hair, same type pf suit - as she was getting ready for a carriage ride with several of her friends. I think it was before she married in 1913. They eloped from Hagerstown to Chambersburg in Granddad's new motorized vehicle.
Patd

 

Love the photos and the stories.

 

I would agree with Figtree3. The suit in the first photo looks 1910-1919 - just pre-WWI. The second looks right around the turn of the century, early Edwardian.

 

did you compare the earlobes ? nose seems rather similar. could be the same person. do you see both medial clefts ? sometimes helps as well.

 

Thanks everyone for your help!

The dates you've suggested fit with who I think is in the second photo... Jessie, my grandmother Lizzie's older sister. I think the eyebrows in particular are different enough on the two photos to feel sure they're not the same person. I never met Jessie, but I knew my grandmother well.

Also, I dug out other old family photos and think some of them show both Lizzie and Jessie together when they were a little older. I can't do it today, but will probably scan other photos to ask if you all agree with what I'm seeing in those photos.

I plan on sharing the photos with other relatives and want to feel comfortable with what I'm telling them. As I mentioned on another thread, I'm newly in touch with two brothers who are the sons of Lizzie and Jessie's brother and they didn't know that Lizzie and Jessie and their families even existed. So I feel really good about sharing these photos with them.

Again, thanks!