Old Photograph

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:44 am

Hi All,

I have recently been given a few old photographs of my gtgt grandmother,which I am delighted with, I have uploaded one of Margaret Murray b. 1843, the reason is, that while looking at it and trying to date it, I can see writing at the bottom of the photo, just at the edge of the mat, now friends that looked at it said it was simply the fringing

so I wondered if anyone can assist, when I changed the photo to black and white I thought it was clearer.
http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... ?pos=-1600

Ann
<image URL added, LesleyB>

Rach · Post by **Rach** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:46 am

Hello Ann,
What a great photo to have. It makes such a difference to the family tree to be able to put in photographs and not just to have a list of facts.
Sorry, couldn't see the writing at the edge of the map. On which side do you think it is?
Rae

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 11:24 am

Hi Rae,

The writing, is more towards the right of the mat, I can see a capital G, maybe I am just hoping!! It is nice to put faces to names in the family tree, and see what genes were passed down.

Ann

Rach · Post by **Rach** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:21 pm

Hi Ann,
Sorry, still can't see it even with my huge magnifying glass. Maybe someone else can do better.
Rae

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 1:08 pm

Annie & Rach,

You might be looking at different photographs. I think you usually have to wait until the photo has been approved by Admin and a link to it added to the post.

Unless I’m going blind,
Alan

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 1:31 pm

Found it in the gallery. I was going to say it looks like the mats been cropped but I guess you mean the mat she has her feet on? Looks like something in block capitals on left front edge. Will have a closer look.

Alan

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 2:19 pm

Ann,

On the front left edge of the mat there’s something that looks a bit like ERP but the back edge of the E appears to be hidden by the out-of-focus leaf sticking up out of the garden in the bottom left corner of the photo. Bits of the mat fringes sticking upwards could be part of it. The mat doesn’t have a regular pattern so it’s hard to tell for sure. The ERP doesn’t seem to go any further than that and could be part of the mat.

I can vaguely see similar blocky letter shapes around the centre of the mat where it buckles up but the shapes seem to follow the mat contours and is probably just the mat or maybe not. My imagination might be running riot.

If you have a ultra-violet or infra-red lamp you could try reading it under that. Or try shining a torch across the face of the photo, any slight depressions may show up. Or try viewing the photo from an angle with an even light from a computer screen or the Sun reflecting from the photo into your eyes.

It’s a very nice photo,
Alan

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 2:54 pm

Hi Alan,

Thank you, that is what I have seen too, but I can see more in the middle, I was begining to think it was my imagination, but when I turn the photograph sideways there is something there, thanks for the tip on ultra violet, never thought of that, It is possible that it is just the shading of the fringe, but I am ever hopeful it was some kind of greeting.
My next mission to find out where it was actually taken, I'm off to trawl though photographs of old churches around her area!!

Ann

Rae,

Thank you for looking again.

Post by **marilyn morning** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 3:33 pm

Hi Annie,

There's a few links on this thread that may help date your photo?

http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8160

Regards
Marilyn

winslowsmom · Post by **winslowsmom** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 3:56 pm

Hi Ann

That is a great photo. I enlarged it way up in photoshop, and I'm sorry to say that it just looks like the fringe and the shadows of the pebbles make all sorts of shapes. Its kind of like finding animals ine clouds. They are there, but it seems to be happenstance. There are variations on the shading of the wee rocks that could easily be interpretted as varying pressure of a pen, but to me at least, it is the shape of the stones.
By the way, that is a fine hat she has on. Wouldn't it be fun to find that at a garage sale, which is where I off to now.
Cathy H