An Old Wedding Portrait

  / by  Author

old wedding portrait

I found a card mounted wedding portrait at my favorite antique shop. I noticed it some months before and saw it again when I went back. No one had purchased it yet.

The image is flaking off at the edges, and its backing has considerable foxing and wear. One corner is bent so that it will eventually break away if the portrait is not handled gently. If that happens, the clue “Plymouth, Indiana” will be lost.

It is labeled, though somewhat incompletely, on the back:

Grandma & Grandpa
Shaws
Wedding Picture

The penmanship is hurried; “Shaws” might be Shains or Shams or Sharns. There is no hint of an apostrophe, so perhaps the last letter isn’t even an “s.”

It turns out that a wedding portrait for sale at an antique shop is a mystery I can’t ignore.

The wedding photo is a cabinet card measuring 4-1/4 by 6-1/2 inches. Cabinet cards were introduced in 1866 and were popular through the 1890’s. The artistic underscore border just below the image dates the photo mounting (though not necessarily the image itself) to around 1886-1896. However, the composition seems generally consistent with photography of the period, and I do not suspect a newer image produced onto older stock (or vice versa).

The man’s morning suit, with the rounded bottom hem of the jacket and small lapels, suggests the picture was made no earlier than the 1880’s. His white tie lends credibility to the note on the back that this is a wedding. I had a much more difficult time pin-pointing the woman’s dress in time, although her hairstyle fits with the 1880’s styles. I found no other examples of front drapery from the bodice looping about the waist and down over the bustle, but her silhouette and snug bodice fit with 1880’s styles and her sleeves show no hint of the puffs which became very popular in the 1890’s.

My best amateur effort at dating this photograph puts it between 1886 and 1890.

We can assume that Shaw was his name, obviously, and because they are “Grandma & Grandpa Shaw,” we know they had a family to supply the eventual grandchild to label the photo.

Some possibilities, from the right time and place:

And there, for now, the trail goes cold …

9 Replies to “An Old Wedding Portrait”

  1. You could also try searching in City directories to see if you can locate the photography studio (to help date the photo). The picture might be earlier than you think.

    1. Good idea, thank you! You could be right about it being earlier, since an older image could be reproduced onto newer card stock, which would account for the ornamental border. I looked at a lot of samples from the time period and to me, the pose and image composition seemed consistent with other images dating to the late 1880’s… but I’m no expert.

      1. And just to confuse you, it could be later as well, especially in rural or poorer areas. I generally try to give a five year buffer either way. Clothing can be so fickle. Just think about how many nice clothes you still have in your closet. I have a silk beaded dress from when I was 21 in my closet. I still occasionally wear it although I am double the age that I was. I am going to look through some of my sources too. The bodice front is also interesting with the gathered front. The skirt’s silhouette is also puzzling because it has no ornament whatsoever (especially on the hem).

  4. Best of luck with the picture. I hope someone in the family claims it. I put it on my pinterest in hopes that someone will see it.

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