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Welcome to the sixth in our series of blogs about how to understand and interpret your old family photos. In this series, Jayne Shrimpton, internationally recognised dress historian, portrait specialist, photo detective and regular contributor to Family Tree, Your Family History and Family History Monthly magazines, dates and analyses different types of photographs and helps you to add context to your old family pictures.
Jayne Shrimpton
Once family photographs have been assigned a useful timeframe using the dating techniques covered in previous blogs, it’s good to try to interpret and make sense of them. Consider why each photo may have been taken and how it reflected the person’s or family’s life. When photography became a new portrait medium in the 1840s, professional photographers embraced the same themes that had long been captured in original artworks, also extending their repertoire over time.
Photographic opportunities were, of course, limited to the natural range of human experience. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, however, many rites of passage, personal successes and family occasions inspired our forebears to visit the photographer for a commemorative portrait - christenings, birthdays, breechings, coming of age, career achievements, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, retirements and even death.
It was not necessary – or usual – for a photographer to be present at the actual event; rather, subjects visited their local studio on the day, or soon after the occasion, dressed in their best or most appropriate clothing. The resulting images may have been removed from reality, but they had an important function for they symbolised the significance of the occasion within the family.
Besides triggering memories for many years to come, special pictures shown to relatives and friends enhanced the family’s reputation, demonstrating visibly their good fortune, respectability and status, also testifying to their correct observance of social ritual. The surviving photographs that represent the traditions and celebrations marked by earlier generations offer today’s researchers a rich pictorial record of ancestors’ and more recent relatives’ journey through life.
Identifying occasions in photographs
Recognising that the formal studio portraits of previous eras were often inspired by important events certainly adds another dimension to today’s family photographic archives. Their original purpose can initially be hard to discern from the standard images of forebears posing in a conventional studio setting, but there may be identifying visual clues that can help. Some traditions, for example, entailed the wearing of special clothing or materials, such as mourning dress - unfamiliar to us today, but the details of which are generally identifiable in photographs.
During the later 19th and early 20th centuries, men might wear a white tie or bow tie for a photograph marking a significant occasion, while decorative floral devices were often used when subjects were celebrating a special event, such as coming of age, birthday, engagement - or even a wedding, in the days before special bridal wear was customary. Some photographs offer no obvious evidence of their circumstances, but if the family member’s identity is already known or suspected and his or her dates recorded, accurate dating of the portrait may suggest a special birthday or anniversary around that time. Conversely, recognising the likely occasion behind a photograph can often help with closer dating, or even identification of an unnamed face.
By the 20th century, especially after WWI, personal and family events were increasingly recorded in amateur snapshots – a topic to be covered in a later blog. A professional photograph, however, was still considered superior and was often preferred for important commemorative portraits. Below is a brief introduction to the various social customs and family occasions that were observed and documented in formal studio photographs and suggestions as to how they may be recognised. For a more detailed explanation and further visual examples, please refer to the books listed at the end.
Christening
One of the most important events experienced by families is the birth of a new baby and in the past this was a regular occurrence in many households, babies usually being christened or baptised when only a few weeks or months old. Given the frequency of family christenings and baptisms among earlier generations, fewer Victorian and Edwardian photographs recording these events survive than might be expected. This is possibly because tiny babies were notoriously difficult to photograph and probably also because many ordinary families simply could not afford a professional photograph every time a new baby arrived.
Christening photographs are distinguishable from other pictures of babies by the very young appearance of the baby and, especially, by his or her clothing. Special christening gowns were usually white by the Victorian period, symbolising purity and innocence and these garments continued into the 20th century. Christening gowns were very long, covering the baby’s feet by several inches, even feet, and were often ornamented with flounces, lace or broderie anglaise (fig.1) An alternative form of christening wear by the later 19th century was the porte-bébé, a sac or pocket-like arrangement comprising a coverlet attached to a pillow on three sides, inside which the baby could rest comfortably (fig.2)
Birthday
Some photographers encouraged the photographing of children as this was potentially a lucrative line of work. Affluent parents might visit the studio every year around the time of a son or daughter’s birthday, to record their growth and development (fig.3).
For ordinary working families, commemorating a child’s birthday in a photograph might be a rare event, or sometimes the birthday portrait was deferred altogether until the more auspicious birthday 21st birthday when a son or daughter officially became an adult (fig.4). Many formal studio photographs must represent 21st birthday celebrations, although the occasion is not always immediately obvious to us today. A young adult may simply be wearing elaborate or fashionable clothing, although a young man may sport a buttonhole, while a young woman might wear a floral corsage on her bodice or hold a posy or basket of flowers. He or she might also be wearing an item of jewellery such as a brooch or tie pin that was a special 21st birthday gift: these heirlooms have sometimes survived within the family (fig.4).
Older ancestors and relatives also celebrated birthdays in the past, as now, and it was quite common for the elderly to commemorate landmark birthdays with a professional photograph demonstrating their good health and longevity. Sometimes the occasion of such portraits has been recorded, or remembered within the family (fig.5), but otherwise we have to judge whether a well-dressed mature ancestor or relative in a single portrait may have been celebrating a special birthday.
Breeching
After christening and early birthdays, the next important event in a little boy’s life was his ‘breeching’ – a rite of passage no longer recognised in western society. Breeching is a family and social ritual that historically marked a son’s transition from infancy into boyhood. Small children of both sexes wore baby dresses in the 19th and early 20th centuries but at some point between the age of three and six - usually at four or five - boys left behind their androgynous baby robes and were ceremoniously dressed in their first pair of short trousers, the occasion often being recorded in a photograph.
Surviving breeching portraits are often annotated on the back with the date and name and age of the boy, as in fig.6. Even if not, however, they may usually be identified from the subject’s appearance: a young boy of relevant age, posing usually alone or sometimes with a sibling celebrating a birthday at around the same time.
Breeching photographs typically show the young son proudly wearing his new set of ‘grown up’ clothes – a jacket and knickerbockers made in the style fashionable for young boys at the time. In the 1860s, for example, a boy might wear the new zouave ensemble (see previous blog) for his breeching portrait, whereas by the later 1870s and 1880s a more conventional miniature lounge suit was popular (fig.6)
School, college and work
Some families are lucky in possessing old school photographs of relatives or ancestors, either taken at their local elementary (primary) school or secondary school, or perhaps at a private educational establishment. Apart from the early photographs set in elite schools, such as Harrow, in the mid-19th century, most school photographs in today’s family collections date from the 1880s onwards. The main trend for school photographs followed the 1870 Elementary Education Act, which led to larger numbers of children from ordinary backgrounds attending school, and also technical advances in photography that greatly facilitated work away from the studio.
From the 19th century until WWII, school children were usually photographed in their class groups, or sometimes two classes grouped together, the children positioned so that each small face was visible. Typically in early school photographs the children are lined up outside, in the playground, the group flanked on one side by the head teacher, and on the other by their class teacher (fig.7). Views taken inside the schoolroom became increasingly popular during the 20th century.
Some studio photographs of youthful ancestors and relatives may celebrate academic attendance and achievement, for example, a portrait of a ‘teenager’ proudly holding an educational award or a school leaving certificate. Young people might otherwise have been photographed to mark further stages of education, such as entry into university, attendance at technical college or embarkation on a special training course (fig.8). Commencement of a new career, promotion, or a notable success at work might also prompt a visit to the studio. Where special occupational dress or uniform was required, this was modelled in the photograph.
Female coming of age
For girls, there was no equivalent of young boys’ breeching, but as they grew older their dress altered: hemlines steadily lengthened from knee, to calf, to ankle and clothing became progressively more ‘grown up’ in its style and construction.
Finally somewhere between the age of 15 and 18 - usually at 16 or 17 – a girl came ‘of age.’ This important rite of passage was symbolised by the adoption of full adult dress – a firmly fitted corset, floor length skirts and the putting up of long hair into a neat bun or chignon. In many families the occasion was marked by a special photograph, as seen in fig.9.
Engagement and betrothal
Becoming engaged or betrothed was an important episode in young people’s lives, the length of the engagement depending upon family circumstances and other factors, such as the age of the participants. In many families, the engagement period seems to have been brief and was swiftly followed by marriage, although more formal or leisurely engagements typically lasted between about six months and two years.
A couple might sometimes be photographed together in the studio to mark their betrothal, although in many cases it was apparently the young lady who was most keen to demonstrate her new status in a portrait, a copy of which was often given as a token to her fiancé. A formal engagement usually entailed the presentation of a ring from the prospective bridegroom to his intended. The ring was highly symbolic, a clear sign of the engaged or betrothed state, and accordingly in female engagement photographs the lady is generally carefully positioned so as to prominently display her ring on the third finger of her left hand (fig.10).
Marriage
Marriages are always very special family occasions and visual images depicting or symbolising weddings have existed since the earliest days of portraiture. All family historians possess wedding photographs among their collections. Some may be of 19th century date, although those relating to ordinary Victorian ancestors often go unidentified because the visual clues that we tend to associate with weddings – special white bridal wear, flowers and bridesmaids – are generally absent (fig.11). By the 20th century, many more weddings were elaborate ‘white weddings’, their visual details more recognisable to the modern eye. Because marriages are such significant events and wedding photographs are so numerous and varied, the next blog will look closely at this aspect of family photographs.
Wedding anniversary
The celebration of wedding anniversaries is traceable at least as far back as the Middle Ages and for centuries milestone 25th (silver) and 50th (golden) wedding anniversaries remained important events. Later, during the 19th century, the ritual and celebration surrounding the ‘anniversary wedding’ were redefined and popularised and it was probably the Victorian predilection for classifying and categorising that inspired the ‘traditional’ listing of prescribed gifts for specific anniversaries. In 1875, for example, the first known reference to a 5th wedding anniversary appeared, which was symbolised by wood. Published and online sources suggest that by the early 20th century, around nine principal wedding anniversaries were officially recognised: 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 50th, 60th and 75th. Photographic evidence supports a growing trend for the celebration of ever more anniversaries, which may in some families have included all five and 10-year anniversaries.
Many family photograph collections include wedding anniversary photographs. Some images show the couple depicted on their own, or even in separate, paired photographs, while in others they are surrounded by their family. By the late 19th century, when larger group photographs had become common, parents, children (and grandchildren where relevant) often gathered in the studio to celebrate a landmark anniversary, the anniversary couple prominently positioned in the group (fig.12).
Mourning
Families in the past were generally much bigger and the average life expectancy was lower than today, therefore most of our ancestors mourned the passing of loved ones of all ages on many occasions during their lifetimes. Extravagant mourning customs date back centuries in Europe but, like many social rituals, public mourning became more pronounced and widespread throughout society during the 19th century.
The observance of lengthy mourning following the death of a relative or a major public figure was at its height from around mid-century until the 1890s, declining slightly by the century’s close. Formal mourning continued to be observed in some families well into the Edwardian era and throughout WWI, although by then the strictest ‘rules’ governing mourning had relaxed considerably. For 50 or more years, however, the importance of visibly mourning the deceased was entrenched in the lives of many of our forebears.
The relationship of the mourner to the deceased determined the nature and length of mourning, the recommendations published in etiquette manuals, handbooks and magazines becoming more numerous and complex and the mourning periods longer over time. Special mourning dress – garments and accessories - was an important element of public mourning, as was a formal photograph representing the bereaved decked out in suitable attire.
Many researchers will discover mourning photographs in their collections, whether single or double portraits or larger family groups, since mourning affected men, women and children alike. Female portraits are most common, however, as women carried the heaviest burden, especially widows who were officially supposed to mourn their husbands for two and a half years. For more information about widows’ dress and mourning dress in general, see Lou Taylor’s book, listed below.
Mourning dress basically followed current fashions, so mourning photographs can be dated from the style of garments and hairstyles in much the same way as other family photographs (see previous blog). Pinpointing the occasion relies upon recognising the subtler clothing details that signified mourning – sartorial features only associated with death and bereavement that may be quite apparent in some photographs, more difficult to identify in others.
Mourning garments were essentially black and since, theoretically, materials were not supposed to shine or gleam, silks were mostly put aside and dull, matt black textiles were adopted (fig.13). The most obvious mourning fabric is black crape – identifiable from its distinctive textured quality: crape could cover whole garments, although in practise it was often used as dress panels and trimmings.
Mourning specifications also covered ornaments, so heavy black beads, lockets and earrings of jet or cheaper glass may be seen in mourning photographs instead of the usual gold or gemstone jewellery. Further indications of female mourning, besides black garments, may include a special headdress, perhaps a black hat and veil, a modest black bonnet tied under the chin or a cap featuring crape or dull black fabric ‘falls’ – the trailing streamers sometimes worn by widows (fig.14)
Male mourning was less complex and by the Victorian era was usually expressed by a black suit worn with a black tie (fig.13). Sometimes, however, the watch chain might be fashioned from a dull black metal instead of gold, or a black armband may be present. Children were also put into mourning dress if, for example, they had lost a parent or sibling. Where a child wears black in a photograph this may well indicate mourning as usually children were not dressed in this colour, while infants might wear white garments with black trimmings (fig.13).
Fig.1 Canadian christening photograph, 1916 - click to enlarge. Christening and baptism photographs are usually identifiable by the very young age of the baby and his or her exceedingly long white christening gown, as seen here. Often these special garments were passed down within the family. (Gary de Beaubien)
Fig.2 Christening photograph, c.1886-90 - click to enlarge. An alternative christening outfit in the late Victorian era was the porte bébé – a comfortable sac-like arrangement. It is usually difficult, or impossible, to tell the gender of babies in photos, but this tall bonnet suggests that the baby is a girl. (Fiona Adams)
Fig.3 Possibly birthday photograph, 1870s - click to enlarge. Although babies and young children were difficult to photograph, children’s birthday portraits were encouraged as a lucrative line of work. This photograph of a well-dressed little girl was possibly taken to mark a birthday. (Jon Easter)
Fig.4 21st birthday photograph, 1895 - click to enlarge. The gold brooch worn in this photograph has been passed down through the family and may have been a 21st birthday present. This and fig.s 9 & 10 all show the same young woman – a pictorial sequence representing important occasions in her life. (Katharine Williams)
Fig.5 70th birthday portrait, 1934 - click to enlarge. Older family members often celebrated landmark birthdays. This lady, who ran a tobacconist and sweetshop in Liverpool for many years, visited the photographer to mark her 70th birthday. (Joan Coulson)
Fig.6 Breeching photograph 1880 - click to enlarge. This photograph celebrates the important rite of passage known as ‘breeching’, when a boy donned his first pair of short trousers. A hand-written note on the reverse of the mount states that Thomas Huddleston, aged 4, was born in March 1876. (Jayne Shrimpton)
Fig.7 School photograph, 1903/4, Kent - click to enlarge. Most school photographs in today’s family archives date from at least the 1880s. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, usually the children were lined up in the playground, flanked by their class teacher and head teacher. (Katharine Williams)
Fig.8 Brothers’ celebration photograph, c.1896-8 - click to enlarge. The brothers who posed together for this photograph may have been celebrating different achievements. The oldest was about to join the naval training establishment HMS Boscawen, while the youngest may be holding an educational certificate. (Jon Easter)
Fig.9 Coming of age photograph c.1890-92 - click to enlarge. The ancestor centre would have been aged between sixteen and eighteen when this photograph was taken. Along with the festive garland, her age suggests that she and her girlfriends may have joined together for a special ‘coming of age’ group picture. (Katharine Williams)
Fig.10 Engagement photograph 1896/7 - click to enlarge. The last of three photographs from the 1890s depicting the same ancestor (see also fig.s 4 & 9), this celebrates her engagement, the occasion obvious from her carefully displayed ring. Her engagement date is unknown but she married in December 1897. (Katharine Williams)
Fig.11 Wedding photograph, Stepney, East London, 1865 - click to enlarge. Early wedding photographs set in a studio may be hard to recognise as brides from ordinary working families didn’t wear special bridal wear. This couple later emigrated to the USA, the groom working as an engineering blacksmith in New York. (Robin Fairservice)
Fig.12 25th Wedding anniversary photograph, 1890 - click to enlarge. Here we see the same couple as in fig.11 above, surrounded by their four surviving children. Dress clues suggest a date around 1890, which would make the likely occasion their 25th wedding anniversary – an event often marked by a photograph. (Robin Fairservice)
Fig.13 Mourning photograph c.1875 - click to enlarge. All the members of this working-class family wear mourning dress: the mother wears a dress of dull black fabric, the father a black tie, their daughter a black frock and the toddler white with black trimmings. The couple’s son had died in December 1874. (Jon Easter)
Fig.14 Widow, c.1880s - click to enlarge. This unidentified young woman appears to be a widow, judging from her dull black dress and headdress with black ‘falls.’ The black mount may also signify mourning. (Jon Easter)
Recommended reading
Fashion in Photographs, 1860-1880, Miles Lambert (Batsford, 1991)
Fashion in Photographs, 1880-1900, Sarah Levitt (Batsford, 1991)
Fashion in Photographs, 1900-1920, Katrina Rolley (Batsford, 1992)
Victorian and Edwardian Fashion: A Photographic Survey, Alison Gernsheim (Dover Publications, 1963)
The Victorians: Photographic Portraits, Audrey Linkman (Tauris Parke, 1993)
Mourning Dress, Lou Taylor (George Allan & Unwin, 1983)
Family Photographs and How to Date Them, Jayne Shrimpton (Countryside Books, 2008)
How to Get the Most from Family Photographs, Jayne Shrimpton (Society of Genealogists, 2011)
More...
Jayne ShrimptonOnce family photographs have been assigned a useful timeframe using the dating techniques covered in previous blogs, it’s good to try to interpret and make sense of them. Consider why each photo may have been taken and how it reflected the person’s or family’s life. When photography became a new portrait medium in the 1840s, professional photographers embraced the same themes that had long been captured in original artworks, also extending their repertoire over time.
Photographic opportunities were, of course, limited to the natural range of human experience. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, however, many rites of passage, personal successes and family occasions inspired our forebears to visit the photographer for a commemorative portrait - christenings, birthdays, breechings, coming of age, career achievements, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, retirements and even death.
It was not necessary – or usual – for a photographer to be present at the actual event; rather, subjects visited their local studio on the day, or soon after the occasion, dressed in their best or most appropriate clothing. The resulting images may have been removed from reality, but they had an important function for they symbolised the significance of the occasion within the family.
Besides triggering memories for many years to come, special pictures shown to relatives and friends enhanced the family’s reputation, demonstrating visibly their good fortune, respectability and status, also testifying to their correct observance of social ritual. The surviving photographs that represent the traditions and celebrations marked by earlier generations offer today’s researchers a rich pictorial record of ancestors’ and more recent relatives’ journey through life.
Identifying occasions in photographs
Recognising that the formal studio portraits of previous eras were often inspired by important events certainly adds another dimension to today’s family photographic archives. Their original purpose can initially be hard to discern from the standard images of forebears posing in a conventional studio setting, but there may be identifying visual clues that can help. Some traditions, for example, entailed the wearing of special clothing or materials, such as mourning dress - unfamiliar to us today, but the details of which are generally identifiable in photographs.
During the later 19th and early 20th centuries, men might wear a white tie or bow tie for a photograph marking a significant occasion, while decorative floral devices were often used when subjects were celebrating a special event, such as coming of age, birthday, engagement - or even a wedding, in the days before special bridal wear was customary. Some photographs offer no obvious evidence of their circumstances, but if the family member’s identity is already known or suspected and his or her dates recorded, accurate dating of the portrait may suggest a special birthday or anniversary around that time. Conversely, recognising the likely occasion behind a photograph can often help with closer dating, or even identification of an unnamed face.
By the 20th century, especially after WWI, personal and family events were increasingly recorded in amateur snapshots – a topic to be covered in a later blog. A professional photograph, however, was still considered superior and was often preferred for important commemorative portraits. Below is a brief introduction to the various social customs and family occasions that were observed and documented in formal studio photographs and suggestions as to how they may be recognised. For a more detailed explanation and further visual examples, please refer to the books listed at the end.
Christening
One of the most important events experienced by families is the birth of a new baby and in the past this was a regular occurrence in many households, babies usually being christened or baptised when only a few weeks or months old. Given the frequency of family christenings and baptisms among earlier generations, fewer Victorian and Edwardian photographs recording these events survive than might be expected. This is possibly because tiny babies were notoriously difficult to photograph and probably also because many ordinary families simply could not afford a professional photograph every time a new baby arrived.
Christening photographs are distinguishable from other pictures of babies by the very young appearance of the baby and, especially, by his or her clothing. Special christening gowns were usually white by the Victorian period, symbolising purity and innocence and these garments continued into the 20th century. Christening gowns were very long, covering the baby’s feet by several inches, even feet, and were often ornamented with flounces, lace or broderie anglaise (fig.1) An alternative form of christening wear by the later 19th century was the porte-bébé, a sac or pocket-like arrangement comprising a coverlet attached to a pillow on three sides, inside which the baby could rest comfortably (fig.2)
Birthday
Some photographers encouraged the photographing of children as this was potentially a lucrative line of work. Affluent parents might visit the studio every year around the time of a son or daughter’s birthday, to record their growth and development (fig.3).
For ordinary working families, commemorating a child’s birthday in a photograph might be a rare event, or sometimes the birthday portrait was deferred altogether until the more auspicious birthday 21st birthday when a son or daughter officially became an adult (fig.4). Many formal studio photographs must represent 21st birthday celebrations, although the occasion is not always immediately obvious to us today. A young adult may simply be wearing elaborate or fashionable clothing, although a young man may sport a buttonhole, while a young woman might wear a floral corsage on her bodice or hold a posy or basket of flowers. He or she might also be wearing an item of jewellery such as a brooch or tie pin that was a special 21st birthday gift: these heirlooms have sometimes survived within the family (fig.4).
Older ancestors and relatives also celebrated birthdays in the past, as now, and it was quite common for the elderly to commemorate landmark birthdays with a professional photograph demonstrating their good health and longevity. Sometimes the occasion of such portraits has been recorded, or remembered within the family (fig.5), but otherwise we have to judge whether a well-dressed mature ancestor or relative in a single portrait may have been celebrating a special birthday.
Breeching
After christening and early birthdays, the next important event in a little boy’s life was his ‘breeching’ – a rite of passage no longer recognised in western society. Breeching is a family and social ritual that historically marked a son’s transition from infancy into boyhood. Small children of both sexes wore baby dresses in the 19th and early 20th centuries but at some point between the age of three and six - usually at four or five - boys left behind their androgynous baby robes and were ceremoniously dressed in their first pair of short trousers, the occasion often being recorded in a photograph.
Surviving breeching portraits are often annotated on the back with the date and name and age of the boy, as in fig.6. Even if not, however, they may usually be identified from the subject’s appearance: a young boy of relevant age, posing usually alone or sometimes with a sibling celebrating a birthday at around the same time.
Breeching photographs typically show the young son proudly wearing his new set of ‘grown up’ clothes – a jacket and knickerbockers made in the style fashionable for young boys at the time. In the 1860s, for example, a boy might wear the new zouave ensemble (see previous blog) for his breeching portrait, whereas by the later 1870s and 1880s a more conventional miniature lounge suit was popular (fig.6)
School, college and work
Some families are lucky in possessing old school photographs of relatives or ancestors, either taken at their local elementary (primary) school or secondary school, or perhaps at a private educational establishment. Apart from the early photographs set in elite schools, such as Harrow, in the mid-19th century, most school photographs in today’s family collections date from the 1880s onwards. The main trend for school photographs followed the 1870 Elementary Education Act, which led to larger numbers of children from ordinary backgrounds attending school, and also technical advances in photography that greatly facilitated work away from the studio.
From the 19th century until WWII, school children were usually photographed in their class groups, or sometimes two classes grouped together, the children positioned so that each small face was visible. Typically in early school photographs the children are lined up outside, in the playground, the group flanked on one side by the head teacher, and on the other by their class teacher (fig.7). Views taken inside the schoolroom became increasingly popular during the 20th century.
Some studio photographs of youthful ancestors and relatives may celebrate academic attendance and achievement, for example, a portrait of a ‘teenager’ proudly holding an educational award or a school leaving certificate. Young people might otherwise have been photographed to mark further stages of education, such as entry into university, attendance at technical college or embarkation on a special training course (fig.8). Commencement of a new career, promotion, or a notable success at work might also prompt a visit to the studio. Where special occupational dress or uniform was required, this was modelled in the photograph.
Female coming of age
For girls, there was no equivalent of young boys’ breeching, but as they grew older their dress altered: hemlines steadily lengthened from knee, to calf, to ankle and clothing became progressively more ‘grown up’ in its style and construction.
Finally somewhere between the age of 15 and 18 - usually at 16 or 17 – a girl came ‘of age.’ This important rite of passage was symbolised by the adoption of full adult dress – a firmly fitted corset, floor length skirts and the putting up of long hair into a neat bun or chignon. In many families the occasion was marked by a special photograph, as seen in fig.9.
Engagement and betrothal
Becoming engaged or betrothed was an important episode in young people’s lives, the length of the engagement depending upon family circumstances and other factors, such as the age of the participants. In many families, the engagement period seems to have been brief and was swiftly followed by marriage, although more formal or leisurely engagements typically lasted between about six months and two years.
A couple might sometimes be photographed together in the studio to mark their betrothal, although in many cases it was apparently the young lady who was most keen to demonstrate her new status in a portrait, a copy of which was often given as a token to her fiancé. A formal engagement usually entailed the presentation of a ring from the prospective bridegroom to his intended. The ring was highly symbolic, a clear sign of the engaged or betrothed state, and accordingly in female engagement photographs the lady is generally carefully positioned so as to prominently display her ring on the third finger of her left hand (fig.10).
Marriage
Marriages are always very special family occasions and visual images depicting or symbolising weddings have existed since the earliest days of portraiture. All family historians possess wedding photographs among their collections. Some may be of 19th century date, although those relating to ordinary Victorian ancestors often go unidentified because the visual clues that we tend to associate with weddings – special white bridal wear, flowers and bridesmaids – are generally absent (fig.11). By the 20th century, many more weddings were elaborate ‘white weddings’, their visual details more recognisable to the modern eye. Because marriages are such significant events and wedding photographs are so numerous and varied, the next blog will look closely at this aspect of family photographs.
Wedding anniversary
The celebration of wedding anniversaries is traceable at least as far back as the Middle Ages and for centuries milestone 25th (silver) and 50th (golden) wedding anniversaries remained important events. Later, during the 19th century, the ritual and celebration surrounding the ‘anniversary wedding’ were redefined and popularised and it was probably the Victorian predilection for classifying and categorising that inspired the ‘traditional’ listing of prescribed gifts for specific anniversaries. In 1875, for example, the first known reference to a 5th wedding anniversary appeared, which was symbolised by wood. Published and online sources suggest that by the early 20th century, around nine principal wedding anniversaries were officially recognised: 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 50th, 60th and 75th. Photographic evidence supports a growing trend for the celebration of ever more anniversaries, which may in some families have included all five and 10-year anniversaries.
Many family photograph collections include wedding anniversary photographs. Some images show the couple depicted on their own, or even in separate, paired photographs, while in others they are surrounded by their family. By the late 19th century, when larger group photographs had become common, parents, children (and grandchildren where relevant) often gathered in the studio to celebrate a landmark anniversary, the anniversary couple prominently positioned in the group (fig.12).
Mourning
Families in the past were generally much bigger and the average life expectancy was lower than today, therefore most of our ancestors mourned the passing of loved ones of all ages on many occasions during their lifetimes. Extravagant mourning customs date back centuries in Europe but, like many social rituals, public mourning became more pronounced and widespread throughout society during the 19th century.
The observance of lengthy mourning following the death of a relative or a major public figure was at its height from around mid-century until the 1890s, declining slightly by the century’s close. Formal mourning continued to be observed in some families well into the Edwardian era and throughout WWI, although by then the strictest ‘rules’ governing mourning had relaxed considerably. For 50 or more years, however, the importance of visibly mourning the deceased was entrenched in the lives of many of our forebears.
The relationship of the mourner to the deceased determined the nature and length of mourning, the recommendations published in etiquette manuals, handbooks and magazines becoming more numerous and complex and the mourning periods longer over time. Special mourning dress – garments and accessories - was an important element of public mourning, as was a formal photograph representing the bereaved decked out in suitable attire.
Many researchers will discover mourning photographs in their collections, whether single or double portraits or larger family groups, since mourning affected men, women and children alike. Female portraits are most common, however, as women carried the heaviest burden, especially widows who were officially supposed to mourn their husbands for two and a half years. For more information about widows’ dress and mourning dress in general, see Lou Taylor’s book, listed below.
Mourning dress basically followed current fashions, so mourning photographs can be dated from the style of garments and hairstyles in much the same way as other family photographs (see previous blog). Pinpointing the occasion relies upon recognising the subtler clothing details that signified mourning – sartorial features only associated with death and bereavement that may be quite apparent in some photographs, more difficult to identify in others.
Mourning garments were essentially black and since, theoretically, materials were not supposed to shine or gleam, silks were mostly put aside and dull, matt black textiles were adopted (fig.13). The most obvious mourning fabric is black crape – identifiable from its distinctive textured quality: crape could cover whole garments, although in practise it was often used as dress panels and trimmings.
Mourning specifications also covered ornaments, so heavy black beads, lockets and earrings of jet or cheaper glass may be seen in mourning photographs instead of the usual gold or gemstone jewellery. Further indications of female mourning, besides black garments, may include a special headdress, perhaps a black hat and veil, a modest black bonnet tied under the chin or a cap featuring crape or dull black fabric ‘falls’ – the trailing streamers sometimes worn by widows (fig.14)
Male mourning was less complex and by the Victorian era was usually expressed by a black suit worn with a black tie (fig.13). Sometimes, however, the watch chain might be fashioned from a dull black metal instead of gold, or a black armband may be present. Children were also put into mourning dress if, for example, they had lost a parent or sibling. Where a child wears black in a photograph this may well indicate mourning as usually children were not dressed in this colour, while infants might wear white garments with black trimmings (fig.13).
Fig.1 Canadian christening photograph, 1916 - click to enlarge. Christening and baptism photographs are usually identifiable by the very young age of the baby and his or her exceedingly long white christening gown, as seen here. Often these special garments were passed down within the family. (Gary de Beaubien) Fig.2 Christening photograph, c.1886-90 - click to enlarge. An alternative christening outfit in the late Victorian era was the porte bébé – a comfortable sac-like arrangement. It is usually difficult, or impossible, to tell the gender of babies in photos, but this tall bonnet suggests that the baby is a girl. (Fiona Adams) Fig.3 Possibly birthday photograph, 1870s - click to enlarge. Although babies and young children were difficult to photograph, children’s birthday portraits were encouraged as a lucrative line of work. This photograph of a well-dressed little girl was possibly taken to mark a birthday. (Jon Easter)Fig.4 21st birthday photograph, 1895 - click to enlarge. The gold brooch worn in this photograph has been passed down through the family and may have been a 21st birthday present. This and fig.s 9 & 10 all show the same young woman – a pictorial sequence representing important occasions in her life. (Katharine Williams)Fig.5 70th birthday portrait, 1934 - click to enlarge. Older family members often celebrated landmark birthdays. This lady, who ran a tobacconist and sweetshop in Liverpool for many years, visited the photographer to mark her 70th birthday. (Joan Coulson)Fig.6 Breeching photograph 1880 - click to enlarge. This photograph celebrates the important rite of passage known as ‘breeching’, when a boy donned his first pair of short trousers. A hand-written note on the reverse of the mount states that Thomas Huddleston, aged 4, was born in March 1876. (Jayne Shrimpton)Fig.7 School photograph, 1903/4, Kent - click to enlarge. Most school photographs in today’s family archives date from at least the 1880s. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, usually the children were lined up in the playground, flanked by their class teacher and head teacher. (Katharine Williams)Fig.8 Brothers’ celebration photograph, c.1896-8 - click to enlarge. The brothers who posed together for this photograph may have been celebrating different achievements. The oldest was about to join the naval training establishment HMS Boscawen, while the youngest may be holding an educational certificate. (Jon Easter)Fig.9 Coming of age photograph c.1890-92 - click to enlarge. The ancestor centre would have been aged between sixteen and eighteen when this photograph was taken. Along with the festive garland, her age suggests that she and her girlfriends may have joined together for a special ‘coming of age’ group picture. (Katharine Williams)Fig.10 Engagement photograph 1896/7 - click to enlarge. The last of three photographs from the 1890s depicting the same ancestor (see also fig.s 4 & 9), this celebrates her engagement, the occasion obvious from her carefully displayed ring. Her engagement date is unknown but she married in December 1897. (Katharine Williams)Fig.11 Wedding photograph, Stepney, East London, 1865 - click to enlarge. Early wedding photographs set in a studio may be hard to recognise as brides from ordinary working families didn’t wear special bridal wear. This couple later emigrated to the USA, the groom working as an engineering blacksmith in New York. (Robin Fairservice)Fig.12 25th Wedding anniversary photograph, 1890 - click to enlarge. Here we see the same couple as in fig.11 above, surrounded by their four surviving children. Dress clues suggest a date around 1890, which would make the likely occasion their 25th wedding anniversary – an event often marked by a photograph. (Robin Fairservice)Fig.13 Mourning photograph c.1875 - click to enlarge. All the members of this working-class family wear mourning dress: the mother wears a dress of dull black fabric, the father a black tie, their daughter a black frock and the toddler white with black trimmings. The couple’s son had died in December 1874. (Jon Easter)Fig.14 Widow, c.1880s - click to enlarge. This unidentified young woman appears to be a widow, judging from her dull black dress and headdress with black ‘falls.’ The black mount may also signify mourning. (Jon Easter)Recommended reading
Fashion in Photographs, 1860-1880, Miles Lambert (Batsford, 1991)
Fashion in Photographs, 1880-1900, Sarah Levitt (Batsford, 1991)
Fashion in Photographs, 1900-1920, Katrina Rolley (Batsford, 1992)
Victorian and Edwardian Fashion: A Photographic Survey, Alison Gernsheim (Dover Publications, 1963)
The Victorians: Photographic Portraits, Audrey Linkman (Tauris Parke, 1993)
Mourning Dress, Lou Taylor (George Allan & Unwin, 1983)
Family Photographs and How to Date Them, Jayne Shrimpton (Countryside Books, 2008)
How to Get the Most from Family Photographs, Jayne Shrimpton (Society of Genealogists, 2011)
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