Yes, this is a blog post about photo identification. You’re probably wondering what photos have to do with four-legged animals. I have a point. Please read on.
First, let me apologize. I didn’t mean to start a storm of comments on Facebook. How did this happen? All I was trying to do was sharpen your powers of observation. The question: What do you see?
Medical interns are taught: When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras. This is to stop them from looking for exotic diagnosis instead of simple illnesses.
This also applies to family photos.
When looking at a family photo think simple versus complex.
Here’s the trouble-maker.
There are no secrets hidden in this image. A mother, father and their two children went to the photo studio for a classic family portrait. Maybe you’ve done the same thing in your family.
If this image were in your collection, you’d use the tentative date to figure out estimated ages for the children and their parents. You can then use that information to narrow down the possible matches in your family tree. Who’s the right age to fit the people in this picture?
I love the creative responses to my question! Let’s talk about them.
Postmortem Problems
No one in this image is deceased. There is too much life in their eyes. Sure Dad looks a little uncomfortable, but he’s alive just looking in a different direction. I’m not sure why. Perhaps the photographer posed him that way. If you want to see some real postmortem photos check out Dr. Stanley Burn’s Collection of Memorial and Post-Mortem Images.
Corsages
Several folks pointed out the corsages worn by mother and daughter. This is another one of those mysteries. I don’t know if these particular flowers suggest an ethnic orientation or if the photographer gave them as promotional props.
I have dozens of pictures taken in the 1900-1910ish period with people wearing corsages. Sometimes corsages are present in wedding photos but in this instance, the reason for the sprigs is unknown. It doesn’t appear to be a wedding, but perhaps they’d just come from one.
Clothing Clues
- Mother wears a constricting corset. That’s clear from the fit of her dress. Ouch!
- The son is in knickers. That’s standard for a boy between the ages of 5 and 12.
- The daughter’s white light-weight dress signifies warm weather. So now we know they posed in the warmer months circa 1910.
- Dad wears one of those celluoid collars, bought by the box. Perhaps he’s uncomfortable wearing a suit and tie.
- Did you notice the wedding ring on the mother’s hand? It’s been there for a long time. She’s gained weight since her wedding day.
I believe that every photo tells a story. This one too. I can’t stop thinking about the people in the pictures wondering about their lives.