Please help me date this photo

[MrsRosetree]

Anyone around who is knowledgeable about historical dress? Based on what this girl is wearing, when would you say the photo was taken?

I have googled but nothing similar comes up. I'm not even sure whether it is a dress or a coat - the lack of waistline suggests it's a coat, but then she is not wearing gloves or a hat, so maybe it is a dress after all?

If I had to guess I would say 1880s.

Sorry for thick q but can you reproduce the writing across the front (can't make it out)

It looks a bit like this and this says 1890s. It's definitely a dress, it's not a coat.

I would say 1900 - 1910 ish the working classes often wore very dark clothes. My Grandma has a photo like yours and the style is similar. Love old photos - what do you know about her?

A range of opinions then!

The photo belonged to a distant relative (working class, but a remarkable lady who became someone important). The girl is unknown, "possibly a relative or goddaughter". She looks a lot like my great-great-grandmother who was born in 1866, but the photo would then have to be from about 1880 and it doesn't really look that old to me.

The family was definitely working class and shggg's suggestion that it could be closer to 1910 makes me wonder if the girl could be my great-great-aunt (b. 1897) instead. That would make more sense as the family connection is through her father. The owner of the photo actually was a godmother to two other children in the family.

P.S. Sorry about the stamp/watermark across the photo. It's to prevent illegal copying. A shameless screen shot.

That is, the photo is from a web site. I didn't stamp it.

Do you have the original, is it stamped? I'd guess her to be 12 -13.

It was definitely taken in a studio which suggests a commercial venture / operation. With that in mind I wonder when it became popular ie not prohibitively expensive to get portraits taken - that might narrow it down somewhat.

Historic photographic societies may be able to date her.

Fascinating isn't it - hope your detective work pays off.

She's a very pretty girl with a serious intelligence. I'd want to find out more.

Keep us posted.

My immediate thought was 1880s too.

Well, apparently the studio where this was taken was in business from 1897-1907. So the girl is definitely not my gggm. She does look very familiar though, so the search continues...

That period def fits with the dress. High neck with yoke detail is spot on for turn of the century. Length if dress suggests early teens so prob born c1885 - 1895.

Are you in England? If you have some potential names check christening records and birth registers You're making progress though and that is quite a narrow timeframe.

Could well be your great great aunt assuming those dates. Do you have any other pictures of ggaunt perhaps later in life?

Yes to that period and she's wearing no coat because it's taken inside a studio

It would be weird if she was wearing a coat

Turn of century..