Can you date cousin Lucy please?

[Ozzie Gert]

Can anyone date this photo please? have tried googling the photographer`s name with no luck



Have been told it says on the back is "Cousin Lucy in Wales" i have 2 possibles mother and daughter one born 1873 the other 1899

Sylvia

[Night Owl]

Slater's Directory of North and Mid Wales has L S Laroche & Sons, Photographers, 109 Mostyn Street, Llandudno in 1895. They're still there in 1912, 1918.

A quick look at the census has them in LLandudno from 1881 (they were in Birmingham in 1871)

So I'm not sure if its much help but it could be any time from about 1881. Are there initials for the photographer's name because it would probably be W S Laroche up to about 1881 - 1891 and from then it would be L S Laroche

[Penelope]

I'd say that's the 1873 one. Something in the cut of the bodice/sleeves.

[Ozzie Gert]

Thank you for looking Jackie, i don`t have the original, so not sure about initials, will have to email my cousin whe sent it.

Sylvia

[don.t]

It is interesting to note that W.S. Laroche died in 1888/9 at 108 Mostyn Street and that his wife/widow carried on living there until at least 1894. Another interesting thing is that Laroche was not his real name. William Silvester Laroche was following in his father's tracks by using the surname Laroche for trade purposes, his father William Henry Silvester (Sylvester) (b 1814 Lambeth-d.1886 Birmingham) had been a photographer in London trading under the name of Martin Laroche and had been taken to court by William Fox-Talbot in the December of 1854 due to W.H. using the collodion process which Talbot thought was infringing on the Calotype patent held by himself. In or around 1862 Silvester (Sylvester) again using the name of Laroche moved to Birmingham (with his family) and worked in the premisies of Robert W. Thrupp. In 1866 a studio opened at 58 Islington Row Birmingham under the trade name of W.S.Laroche, this being the son of W.H.

At some stage (I can not find out when) W.S.Laroche moved his family to Llandudno and opened up The Rock Studio in Marine Drive and then Studio Royal at, firstly number 43 Mostyn Street and then at 108/109 Mostyn Street.

don

[Ozzie Gert]

Interesting bit of trivia there, thank you Don

Sylvia