can anyone tell what she's wearing round her neck?

[Cloggie]

This is my 3x-great-grandmother, who lived from 1824 to 1891.
She appears to be wearing a long chain around her neck, but also what looks like a ring about halfway down the visible 'chain' (see close-up).
I can't quite make out what it is. I'm not sure if the darker line is part of it, or whether it's just a mark on the photograph.

Does anyone know what it might be?

I'd be interested in any other comments too. It seems a very fancy dress with the fringes and bows. And would the chair be a photographer's prop? It doesn't look particularly comfortable to sit on.

[Dead Rellies]

That looks like it could be a clip to a watch, as it looks like something is tucked in.

[Just Barbara]

Could be a watch I will try to investigate, and the chair will be a photographers prop as the length of time the photo needed to expose was long enough for people to need something to lean on..:D

[Just Barbara]

Think she is wearing a ladies fob watch, they tended to clip them to the side, ( what the clip is for!)

[Cloggie]

Thank you! I hadn't thought of something being clipped to the side.

I know they had long exposure times and used props to rest on/stop fidgeting, and that they used supports that were hidden behind ladies dresses or drapes.
But the other photos I've seen have "normal" furniture. This is the first one I've seen that seems to have a piece of furniture especially for leaning on. :D

[Dead Rellies]

I have been googling and i am sure it is a watch chain, and the watch is concealed.

[Dead Rellies]

Something like this Ladies Watch Pendant - Gold, Numbers Visible (Available July)
yours in the picture looks like diamond set though, very pretty.

[Cloggie]

Oh, well done Pat! It certainly looks like it could be something like that. Thank you!

[Darksecretz]

the stool she is leaning on is actually placed ontop of the other stool, but are seperates by the looks of it, so praps the would be something a child might sit on? when on the floor?

[don.t]

The proper name for the chain hanging from her neck is a chatelaine and this was used by women during the victorian period for having trinkets, keys or, as has been suggested, a small ladies watch. As a rule the watch, when worn, was always tucked into the bodice top between two buttons or into small waist pockets on the lower area of the bodice near the hip area. Some jacket bodices would have a small inner pocket for this purpose and the watch could be hidden from view.

Cloggie you are more nearer than you think when you say that it is a chair for leaning on, but possibly not in the manner that you are thinking of.
The chair it self is known as a prie-dieu chair and is more commonly called a prayer chair. This would be used during a religous service when the worshiper would kneel on the seat cushion and with hands or lower arms resting on the top rest would say their prayers. Prie-dieu chairs were to be found in private chapels attached to large houses rather that in the church although saying that you do occassionally come across them there.

The photographer D (Daniel) Jones was trading in the Liverpool area as a photograph from at least 1862 to 1892. In that time he traded from 11 Church Street, 56 Bold Street and 66 (and at a later date 66a) Bold Street Liverpool. In 1893 he is noted as D.Jones & Co. 66a Bold Street Liverpool.

don.

[Cloggie]

Don, that makes perfect sense! I was looking at the chair the wrong way round. Looking at it differently it is clear to see that it's for kneeling on with an armrest at the top.

Your comments about the photographer's dates are interesting too. I have several photographs from D Jones' studio. Some from 66 Bold Street, and a couple from 66a Bold Street which also say "Established 1850". (whether that means established in Liverpool, I don't know).

Thank you all for your comments.

[Cloggie]

I thought I would post the back of the photo above, and a couple of other photos - in case anyone's interested to see the different backs used by the same photographer at different times.

back of the photo above:

[Cloggie]

An earlier photo from the same studio. The young lady pictured was born in 1851.

[Cloggie]

A later photo from the same studio. The little boy pictured was born in 1882 and died in France in WWI, 1915.

[Just Barbara]

Lovely photos,is it me or is the young lady is kneeling on something under her dress? Love the prayer chair, I shall remember that.