Dating a photograph

While technically not a question about photography, I'm hoping to be able to

date this photograph. The picture is either my great grandfather or my great

uncle. I've been working on my family history and hope to get the right name

onto this photo. Based on their known births and the reasonable age of the

person in the photo (age 20), I'm estimating it to be either 1870 or 1900. Any

thoughts or ideas would be appreciated

Sounds kinky. I'd rather date the person!

I don't have any experience in this area, but the <a href="http://www.eastmanhouse.org/">George Eastman House</a> likely does. You may want to contact them.

He's a dashing fellow, to be sure. Looking at the clothes, I'd put him closer to 1900 than to 1870. Knowing WHERE this might have been taken, geographically, might help. Would this have been overseas, in the US midwest? Vintage clothing experts can often take clues like that and really nail things down. Collar styles, for example, are like tree rings.

Thanks M Barbu and Matt. The picture was from a studio in a small mining town in northeast Pennsylvania. BTW Matt, the hair looks more like the 1950's. All he needed was a black leather jacket and a motorcycle.

It's unusual because of the shirt-vest combination. The watch fob is likely a fraternal order, but nothing like it seems to be shown in the Sears catalog for 1900 list of secret society 'charms'. Also not in the Montgomery Ward catalog for 1894-5. I have a dim memory of having seen it somewhere, but can't locate it in any of the catalog listings of the turn of the century. Of course, it may just be decorative.

 

Can you scan in the charm in more detail?

 

ON the hair and shirt/vest, is there an ethnic background? As you say, this is not your absolutely common hairstyle for either the 70s or the 00s.<div></div>

JMO - but by 1900, jackets for men were shorter and tighter. If this gentleman was in fashion at the time the pic was taken, I would say the shot is from before 1880. The baggier look was still in from about 1860 to 1880, I think.

JDM Wow! You really have me thinking now. If it is my great grandfather, he emigrated in 1870 from County Donegal, Ireland. He had very limited funds and I suspect the suit came with him from Ireland. Also, being Irish, I know he belonged to the Ancient Order of Hibernians. I have a fancy ribboned badge he wore to AOH events.

Thanks, I don't think it's a Hibernian emblem (see below) and I tried to manipulate the image, but couldn't bring out much detail--and most of that may be the texture of the photograph.

 

(and yes, I have a couple of projects I should be working on so am desperate to find something else to do ;)<div></div>

JDM,

 

There's a helpful book we use at the bookshop, <i>Dating Old Photographs 1840-1929</i>by Moorhead; it;s a paperback, out of print but you might be able to find it on <a href="http://www.bookfinder.com">bookfinder.com</a> We also use <i>Care and Identification of 19th Century Photographic Prints</i> by Reilly.

The clothing style to me looks much closer to that typically found in cdv portraits, rather than in cabinet photos, so that would put the date closer to 1870 than to 1900.

 

Theater costume designers also have good knowledge in this field, if you have access to any in your area.

Thank you all for your help, thoughts, ideas. At this point I am pretty sure it dates to the 1870's and therefore is a picture of my great grandfather. It's a great feeling to connect with your past.