Hi Katherine -

Some information to HELP your students with this search -
(D. M' Intyre) - (Donald McIntyre) was the *photographer who was active in Alexanderia, New York in 1876, then was in Port Austin in then went or moved to Bay City for more business.

The *Smithsonian photo division told me - Cut of her dress, the belted waistband and her hair cut with bangs/fringe - would date the photo to somewhere between 1878 - 1883 most likely.
It is a day dress or walking dress. Probably made of light cotton or silk and it likely is spring or summer do to the lightness of it. The woven straw hat most woren in warmer weather.

They are probably in their 20's - remember women didn't wear make-up or have all that anti aging junk we do now. It was considered proper to always have your head covered & gloves were also woren to be proper in public. People didn't wash their hair often so keeping it covered kept it cleaner. They even wore gloves to garden and kept their arms covered and big bonnets were to prevent SUN in the face.

Slouch hat & coat - this couple was up to snuff and very stylish, probably upper to middle class. The style was to button the top botton only on a coat.

She could have purchased her hat at the general store or there was a hat maker.

*They are not new immigrants, most likely 2nd or 3rd generation by their cloths and time.
The potatoe famine was 1840 - 50's so they easily could be Irish ancestry and born here in U.S.
They are dressed *VERY AMERICAN or a Farm Couple that didn well.

(Homestead Dress 1870's typical) *1870's small hats

1877 - small hats atop high hairdo, bodice long & tight around the hips, skirt narrow at sides, no bustle, widens into train.