Can anyone help me to date the photo below? Guesses welcome.
Pat R.

Pat,
It looks like the same time frame as the photo that I am trying to date. They both have the same type of dress although yours is a fancier dress but they both have the same type of scarf around thier necks, hairstyle is the same, no jewlery, and both are positioned the same way. Do you know who the woman is or where the photo was taken?

Hi,
The picture was in my grandmother`s album. It`s placement in relation to other pictures/momentos makes me think it could be a grandmother or other close relative on her maternal grandmother`s side of the family. They were from Louisiana with a possiblity of some relatives from Indiana. Other than my grandmother`s mother & grandmother we have no knowledge of this side of the family. Her grandmother was born Mary Moore somewhere in LA in 1859;she married in Richland Parish. Mary died in Canada at age 38; this picture is definitely not her. It looks to me to be from the 1870`s but I really don`t know. Would like the opinion of someone more knowledgeable then I! The clothing does resemble the picture you posted, though.
Pat

Your photo could date anywhere between 1870 and 1900. The dress and hairstyle are common throughout this period. Making it harder is the age of the woman. Younger women were apt to be more fashion conscious.
There are other ways to date the photo by the type of card it is on, the thickness of the paper, number of layers of the cardboard,the color of the card, printing on the back. If you can give me more info on the card perhaps I can help.
May I recommend an excellent book "Dating Old Photographs 1840-1929"? It is published by Family Chronical and as I recall was reasonably priced. It has helped me date several old photos of my family.

Thank you for your response & advice. The photo was pasted into my grandmother`s album. It`s a thin oval but not on a card of any type. The paper of the album page is stuck on the back so I don`t know if there is any writing. Sure wish I`d asked her about it when she was still with us!
Pat

Pat
Your photo was likely pasted on some type of card at one time. Going strictly by the type of sleeves on the dress I would say 1890 to 1895.
Terry

Thank you, Terry. That might be right; my grandmother`s grandmother would have been born about 1830-1842. I think this picture might be of her.
pat