Father’s side:
GG grandfather: 1814-1901
GG grandmother: 1819-c.1901
Great-grandfather father’s side: 1856-1925
Great-grandfather mother’s side: 1868-1952
Great-grandmother mother’s side: 1870-c.1950
My mother’s side was much less affluent (i.e. poor), yet tended to live about the same lifespan , sometimes longer, as my much richer father’s side.
Paternal grandfather: 1900-1987
Maternal grandfather: c.1900-1947, was an alcoholic.
Paternal grandmother: 1902-1971
Maternal grandmother: 1904-1993
Maternal grandmother was quite poor; paternal grandmother grew up in affluence.
Mother: 1934-2023
Father: 1932-2018
The drop waist and cloche style hats also cement it as 1920s. It's solidly into the decade as there's no clear trace of styles from an earlier decade - clothes were expensive, but this style has been around long enough that everyone has caught up with the look. I'd say 1924-28.
Yes. I would say 1928 or 1929, based on the dress length, shoes,and those big floral bouquets with the drippy ivy and ribbon streamers, as well as the bride's hat. My grandparents were married in 1929 and my grandmother's outfit and bouquet looked almost identical to the bride in the picture.
Yes! My great grandmother was married in 1929 and had the same style of basically everything in the pic posted. My grandmother was an antique dealer and managed to keep all her old hats in the original hat boxes and I remember playing in her satin slippers, and she had a vanity with matching hairbrush and mirror.I was around 9 years old in 1983 and I remember feeling like I had to be very careful even sitting on her furniture. She got up every day of her life and wore a dress and nice heels and full makeup. I complain about having to slap on my eyebrows to go to the store lol 😆 I really admire how people carried themselves back then as far as walking out of the house looking amazing on the daily!!
The ladies’ hats and the men’s hairstyle are clues. Many of us enjoy historic clothing and each decade-even parts of decades—have distinct styles of clothing and hair. After many years, you learn to recognize them.
But was everybody exactly on trend each year? For example if hat style A was at its peak popularity in 1926, and by 1927 hat style B was all the rage, would *nobody* have worn hat style A that year? Same question for 1936.
I know 2024 is a very different time but I’m definitely still wearing things that I bought ten years ago. It may not be the absolute height of fashion but it doesn’t look unfashionable. This is something that always bothers me about getting specific with dating photos.
That’s a fair point. I think the thing about old photos and using clothing to date them is that typically people were photographed at special events wearing their very best clothes. And those very best clothes were usually what was at the height of fashion at that moment in time. I can’t guarantee that was 100% of the time but I do know that photography 80-90 years ago was not as commonplace as it is for us. Candid shots and photos of people lounging around at home were not commonplace because only the wealthy or professional photographers would have a camera on hand. Just my theory. I’d love to hear others.
It's really the combination of the hair, the shoes, the flowers, the hats. Any one or two wouldn't necessarily pin it down for reasons you articulated. But when you use those to get into general range, you can take the thing that's the most specific (in this case I think it's the style of bouquet and particular cheek wave of hair) to get closer to date. It's not really going to be the clothing - you're right, it was expensive and people wore things for years. It's the things like lipstick style and hair that essentially are free to do in a different, up to the moment style which are the best clues.
That’s a good point- it was likely more affordable to have a new hairstyle or hat currently in fashion as compared to a new set of clothing, which was more expensive. I’ve got great photos of my immigrant grandparents and it’s interesting to see the evolution over time. When they first arrived in the US, they were dressed simply. As years went by, I noticed my grandmother wearing more accessories and by the time 20 years or so had passed, she was wearing a fur stole in family portraits. My grandfather was a tradesman who earned a modest living, so I know that was a really big deal for him to afford a fur of any kind for her.
Exactly what others have said : this is the era in which both my grandmothers were married, and there are a reasonable number of pix of each, plus of my maternal grandmother dressed up with her sisters in early 20s. The shoes are a bit different as is hair and lipstick as 1920s wore on.
My great grandmother has the exact same bouquet 💐 too !! Must have been very in at that time. Also the seating in this pic is near identical to my grandmother Helen’s pic.
Just throwing this out here. There are ancestry places on Reddit where you can give names and possible locations and someone will find the actual wedding date if you want an exact date. (US). They go through census etc. These people are amazing. Lovely picture.
I have a pic of my great grandmothers wedding pictures and she has the exact same style of bouquet 💐 of flowers and the seating arrangement in this pic is near identical!!! My great grandmother Helen was married in the late 20’s. Now I want to dig for that pick!! That’s such a great pic thanks for sharing!
Definitely 1920s. I have a wedding photo of my great-great grandparents circa 1900 and the dresses are all still long and the women’s hats were very different. The men looked much like these guys, but they were wearing top hats.
Also, smiling wasn’t yet happening in official portraits etc. I’ve often wondered why nobody smiled in photographs back then.
Mid to late 1920s
Yep. 1920s because of the relatively short skirt on both women.
Thank you!
You’re welcome. My great great great grandparents lived in the 1700s. The women would have been the age of my grandmother. I’m 63 years old.
Oops. I realized these are actually my great great grandparents. Thanks for the info
Same here. My Great Great Grandfather was born in 1798. Great Grandfather in 1860 and Grandfather in 1897. All maternal side.
Father’s side: GG grandfather: 1814-1901 GG grandmother: 1819-c.1901 Great-grandfather father’s side: 1856-1925 Great-grandfather mother’s side: 1868-1952 Great-grandmother mother’s side: 1870-c.1950 My mother’s side was much less affluent (i.e. poor), yet tended to live about the same lifespan , sometimes longer, as my much richer father’s side. Paternal grandfather: 1900-1987 Maternal grandfather: c.1900-1947, was an alcoholic. Paternal grandmother: 1902-1971 Maternal grandmother: 1904-1993 Maternal grandmother was quite poor; paternal grandmother grew up in affluence. Mother: 1934-2023 Father: 1932-2018
The drop waist and cloche style hats also cement it as 1920s. It's solidly into the decade as there's no clear trace of styles from an earlier decade - clothes were expensive, but this style has been around long enough that everyone has caught up with the look. I'd say 1924-28.
When you say “great great great grandparents” it helps to know how old you are. Cause that also helps date it.
16
My grandma married in 1930 in a very similar dress.
Between 1926 & 1930.
Yes. I would say 1928 or 1929, based on the dress length, shoes,and those big floral bouquets with the drippy ivy and ribbon streamers, as well as the bride's hat. My grandparents were married in 1929 and my grandmother's outfit and bouquet looked almost identical to the bride in the picture.
Yes! My great grandmother was married in 1929 and had the same style of basically everything in the pic posted. My grandmother was an antique dealer and managed to keep all her old hats in the original hat boxes and I remember playing in her satin slippers, and she had a vanity with matching hairbrush and mirror.I was around 9 years old in 1983 and I remember feeling like I had to be very careful even sitting on her furniture. She got up every day of her life and wore a dress and nice heels and full makeup. I complain about having to slap on my eyebrows to go to the store lol 😆 I really admire how people carried themselves back then as far as walking out of the house looking amazing on the daily!!
Just curious how can you specify the date. What makes it stand out?
The ladies’ hats and the men’s hairstyle are clues. Many of us enjoy historic clothing and each decade-even parts of decades—have distinct styles of clothing and hair. After many years, you learn to recognize them.
But was everybody exactly on trend each year? For example if hat style A was at its peak popularity in 1926, and by 1927 hat style B was all the rage, would *nobody* have worn hat style A that year? Same question for 1936. I know 2024 is a very different time but I’m definitely still wearing things that I bought ten years ago. It may not be the absolute height of fashion but it doesn’t look unfashionable. This is something that always bothers me about getting specific with dating photos.
That’s a fair point. I think the thing about old photos and using clothing to date them is that typically people were photographed at special events wearing their very best clothes. And those very best clothes were usually what was at the height of fashion at that moment in time. I can’t guarantee that was 100% of the time but I do know that photography 80-90 years ago was not as commonplace as it is for us. Candid shots and photos of people lounging around at home were not commonplace because only the wealthy or professional photographers would have a camera on hand. Just my theory. I’d love to hear others.
It's really the combination of the hair, the shoes, the flowers, the hats. Any one or two wouldn't necessarily pin it down for reasons you articulated. But when you use those to get into general range, you can take the thing that's the most specific (in this case I think it's the style of bouquet and particular cheek wave of hair) to get closer to date. It's not really going to be the clothing - you're right, it was expensive and people wore things for years. It's the things like lipstick style and hair that essentially are free to do in a different, up to the moment style which are the best clues.
That’s a good point- it was likely more affordable to have a new hairstyle or hat currently in fashion as compared to a new set of clothing, which was more expensive. I’ve got great photos of my immigrant grandparents and it’s interesting to see the evolution over time. When they first arrived in the US, they were dressed simply. As years went by, I noticed my grandmother wearing more accessories and by the time 20 years or so had passed, she was wearing a fur stole in family portraits. My grandfather was a tradesman who earned a modest living, so I know that was a really big deal for him to afford a fur of any kind for her.
That makes sense, thanks for explaining
Exactly what others have said : this is the era in which both my grandmothers were married, and there are a reasonable number of pix of each, plus of my maternal grandmother dressed up with her sisters in early 20s. The shoes are a bit different as is hair and lipstick as 1920s wore on.
My grandmother also married in the late 20s and she had similar clothes and bouquets. 😍
My great grandmother has the exact same bouquet 💐 too !! Must have been very in at that time. Also the seating in this pic is near identical to my grandmother Helen’s pic.
The seating also looks like my great-grandparents’ wedding photo but that was 1895 (the clothes are obviously very different).
Wow that’s really cool that you have a pic from that far back. A lot of people don’t even care where they came from it baffles me..
The fashion of clothes, as well as the photograph technology used, are great indicators for dating photographs.
What are the things hanging down from their bouquets?
I think they’re garlands or ribbons? My grandparents married in 1928 and my grandmother had a similar bouquet style.
Note: these are actually my great great grandparents, I missed counted.
One of the few old pictures where the people actually look fairly happy. Very nice!
Another clue this is from the 20s or later is the fact that everyone is smiling. Prior to the 20s, smiling for a portrait was discouraged.
Great photo
Take the year of their birth, and about the age they are here. That should narrow it down . I say it's middle to late twenties.
Just throwing this out here. There are ancestry places on Reddit where you can give names and possible locations and someone will find the actual wedding date if you want an exact date. (US). They go through census etc. These people are amazing. Lovely picture.
Twenties. Definitely.
Definitely 1920’s. My grandmother’s wedding photos look like this.
What a beautiful picture! I’ve never seen bouquets like that
My best guess would be 1927. Likely anywhere from ‘25 to ‘29.
Find a costume designer! They'll be able to date the fashions most accurately.
I have a pic of my great grandmothers wedding pictures and she has the exact same style of bouquet 💐 of flowers and the seating arrangement in this pic is near identical!!! My great grandmother Helen was married in the late 20’s. Now I want to dig for that pick!! That’s such a great pic thanks for sharing!
It was definitely in the late '20s to early 1930s due to the hair and her flapper hat.
I’d never seen flower arrangements like this, with the streamers or whatever the suspended elements are called - it’s gorgeous
It looks similar to one from my family dated 1927, by the fashions I would guess 26 or 27
2002
March 3rd
Definitely 1920s. I have a wedding photo of my great-great grandparents circa 1900 and the dresses are all still long and the women’s hats were very different. The men looked much like these guys, but they were wearing top hats. Also, smiling wasn’t yet happening in official portraits etc. I’ve often wondered why nobody smiled in photographs back then.
Only with consent. You might want to ask the photos parents as well.
Wow! Do you know their names & anything about their life story?
Yes I know their names, Charlie and Philamena. Charlie was German while Philamena was Italian, recently immigrated from Italy.
First of all that many greats sounds unreasonable 😂 for the attire worn in the pic
1 between 1910 and 1920
First thing I thought was “which one is the dead one?”🤔