I am deeply grateful to Ava Cohn, aka Sherlock Cohn, the Photo Genealogist, for pointing out a dating error in one of the photographs I posted yesterday. The photo had been labeled in Robin’s collection as Cecilie and Thekla, and I assumed that it was Thekla Blumenfeld Gruenbaum with her infant daughter Cecilie Gruenbaum. Since Cecilie was born in 1895, I labeled the photo with the date 1895.
But Ava, whose expertise in dating photographs is astounding, noticed that something was off in that date because the clothing worn by the mother in the photo would not have been in fashion in the 1890s. She emailed me and said she thought it was more likely that the photograph was taken in the 1870s.
I went back and looked at the photograph and the information I had on Thekla’s family, and I hypothesized that although the photograph was labeled Thekla and Cecilie, it was of Thekla as an infant with her mother, who was also named Cecilie. That would date the photograph as 1872, not 1895. Ava said that that date made a lot more sense, and when I emailed Robin to ask her for her thoughts, she agreed that it was probably not Thekla as an adult with her daughter, but Thekla as a baby with her mother.
It once again proves that if you want accurate dating and insights into old photographs, don’t rely on the hunches of amateurs. Hire a professional. Ava does amazing work, and I am so grateful that she caught this mistake.
Fantastic detective work and makes perfect sense.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ava is amazing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a miracle that a photo from 1870’s even survived. What a treasure!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree!
LikeLike
Wow! What a fabulous “catch”!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know—Ava is amazing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
She definitely is Sherlock!
LikeLiked by 1 person
very cool…now I look again, not only the clothes but the hairstyle are more 1870s than 1890s…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am so bad at that—I barely know an 1870s hairstyle from a 1950s hairstyle!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s only after several years of reading the photo detecting columns in the British Family Tree Magazine that I’ve become more adept – Jane Shrimpton is Ava and Maureen’s equivalent in the UK.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank goodness for Ava – glad she pointed it out!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So am I!
LikeLike