2 Soldiers and a Lady

[archangel9]

Hi,

A few years ago my father bought a gold chain and locket at an auction in Dublin. The chain was valuable as it was gold whereas the locket was gold plated I believe. Yesterday he found the locket and gave it to me. It has glass front and back and on each side there is a photo of a different man in uniform. I opened the locket to examine the pictures, they both appear to have been cut from postcards, one has "British Made" on the back. One has hand written "B" in pencil, the other "F", which I take to signify Back and Front. Between the pictures was a piece of cardboard and, I nearly missed it, another picture which seems to almost have been hidden. It appears to be an original photograph, rather than a postcard, it is of lighter and better quality card. She has the look of a wealthy woman and I doubt my photo of her will do her justice. I am going to post copies of the photos, which may not come out too well, but here goes -

Soldier 1 -

[archangel9]

The Lady & Soldier 2

and now the impossible - any ideas - era, regiment, identity?

John

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Can't help, but it seems to be the beginnings of an interesting hunt - best of luck!

[archangel9]

Cheers. There is no sign of any badges and its going to be difficult to get the pictures any clearer. I wonder does the colour in the pictures indicate or eliminate any era?

John

[Droocoo]

Im no expert, but it looks ww1 the lady's dress looks that era

[Kate Wills]

Is she perchance a he? Sorry, but when you research concert parties you often have to tackle cross-dressing.

Is she perchance a he? Sorry, but when you research concert parties you often have to tackle cross-dressing.

[archangel9]

Is she perchance a he? Sorry, but when you research concert parties you often have to tackle cross-dressing.

Is she perchance a he? Sorry, but when you research concert parties you often have to tackle cross-dressing.

Definitely a she

My photo of her picture doesn't do her justice.

John

[loganshort]

Hand coloured photos, of which these are, were popular around 1st War time. Possibly brothers or father and son? The woman would have originaly shared one side of the locket with one of the men, (husband/brother/son), more than likely her husband. When they went off to the war she possibly would have put the other man into the locket over her own photo. Who knows if the family were ever reunited after the war?

[loganshort]

forgot to say, postcard sized original photographs very often have "postcard" printed on the back. Even amatuer photographers could purchase this paper to print on. Lots of people would have their photo taken and wold send off some copies on the postcard paper to their relatives/friends. My dad even had some of this old paper which he printed on well into the 60's!

[Just Barbara]

It was fashionable at this period and slightly after to have photographs printed as post cards, I have some of my gran and her sisters which would date from the wars end. The pretty lady could date from just before the war, she looks very edwardian with her big hair, the fashion for big hair and the big hats that went with it disappeared as the war progressed.

Barbara..

[archangel9]

It was fashionable at this period and slightly after to have photographs printed as post cards, I have some of my gran and her sisters which would date from the wars end. The pretty lady could date from just before the war, she looks very edwardian with her big hair, the fashion for big hair and the big hats that went with it disappeared as the war progressed.

Barbara..

Thanks for all the replies. I have to say my first instinct was that they were all related. I thought perhaps two brothers and their sister. I was also thinking that the two men might have been photographed together, the pictures later cut out of the card for the locket.

"she looks very edwardian with her big hair,"

I wonder if the men are brothers could the lady be their mother? Her picture held in the locket between her sons.

Perhaps. But almost certainly we'll never know.

Cheers.

John