Help with determining the age of 2 photographs!

Hi all,

I have had these old photographs for a while now - the only problem is that I know nothing about them!

The first scan is very hard to make out anything, so the brightness has been adjusted to hopefully make it easier to see! There are a few people in what appears to be a forest with perhaps ferns or bracken plants.

The second photo clearly shows two adults and one young child surrounded by a chicken enclosure and chickens.

Both of these photographs were purchased from an antique store in south-east Australia.

I am hoping someone is able to help me with determining how old these photographs are. Any help would be much appreciated!

https://www.antiquers.com/attachmen...0/?temp_hash=fb87b4764537d06e53e4e396a27dae5d

https://www.antiquers.com/attachmen...1/?temp_hash=fb87b4764537d06e53e4e396a27dae5d

https://www.antiquers.com/attachmen...2/?temp_hash=fb87b4764537d06e53e4e396a27dae5d


Thank you so much! Have a great day/night!

 

I took a stab at adjusting both photos so we can see them more clearly. I had no luck with the first one, but maybe this helps on the second one...

 

Me too

 

From the woman's hair style, the second one is certainly Edwardian. The woman is wearing a simple pompadour. Pre-World War II.

 

Enhancement confirms date. The young woman in center is wearing ringlets. So 1st decade or so of the 20th century. For arguments sake, let's say c. 1910.

Debora

 

and my attempt at a detail:

 

That first one is spooky. They seem to be sitting in a jungle, maybe perched on a cliff? Is that a boat at the bottom?


a detail: you can barely see the face that goes with those legs:


and faces looming in the dark:

 

OOOHHH! Your's looks better

 

I think the female sitting next to the young child is pre-adult. Adult women in that era didn't generally wear their hair like that. This one could be a teenager.

I also think the first photo is probably from the same era that Debora identified for the second one. First decade of the 20th century.

How many people in the first photo? I think I see 6.

Oh, and are there any photographers credited on these? Often their years in business can be traced.

 

Wow, thank you so much, everyone!

That is really interesting, those enhancements look amazing, too!

Yes, I think there is 6 at least, perhaps more people in the faded areas of the photo.

I agree, the first photo is quite unsettling. It would be cool to identify where the photo was taken.

Thanks for your help with determining the age of the photo. That is really cool!


There doesn’t appear to be any credited photographers on either side of either photo.

Thanks again for your help, everyone. I really appreciate it!

 

I am curious about the date from ringlets. I'm pretty sure I've seen them in photos from around 1880.

 

Yes, it's very likely you have. They went in and out of fashion during the 1800s. Here's a young Queen Victoria with ringlets, for example.

Debora

 

The ringlet photo I was thinking of was of a boy about 7 years old just before his long little boy hair was cut. The ringlets looked intentional.

 

Yes, fashionable for boys too. In the 1880s, especially so during the Little Lord Fauntleroy craze.

Debora

 

This is the photo I had in mind. Age 10, 1889.

 

Oh, poor little fellow!

Debora

 

Big hair transcends time.

 

And that's certainly a time to be transcended!

Debora

 

I think he looks great.
I have five sons and three of them looked like this, one until they went to Secondary and two beyond. (It was the '90s bowl cut they still don't thank me for.)​

 

Let me guess, Your sons are called Scott, Virgil, John, Gordon and Alan.