Photograph Album Update

I have recently become the proud owner of a late Victorian photograph album (explanatory post here). Today I have found some photos to put in the album. Every Sunday after church, I go down to my local flea market in Tynemouth Station; it is full of vintage and handmade stalls, antiques, records and utter junk. Mostly junk. However, there are always some great finds - I was lucky enough to discover a box of old family photographs. Bought two carte de visites that I found interesting.

The first is of a young woman, probably local; for the studio was in Sunderland. I chose this one because I found her dress interesting. The belt with three buckles, the bells at the neck and down the skirt, the snake bracelet. A very nice outfit overall. What intrigued me most, though, was the whistle attached to the buttons. What could it be for? I do not know for sure but the costume looks to be mid/late 1880's early 90's maybe? It has quite a military feel to it, with the belt and whistle, but it is probably just fashion. I wonder who this woman was, what her occupation was? Her hands look as though she did some sort of labour (though she could just have big hands) and she does not look high class. It would be nice to find out more about this woman, for she seems rather interesting.

This second portrait I bought less for curiosity, but for that it is just a lovely portrait. This young woman too is local; the photographers is in Newcastle. I love her dress - looks like early 1890's. I like the that the fabric of the skirt matches the blouse. The collar, laced cuffs and bodice are beautiful additions and make this dress really lovely and unusual. I wonder if this photo was taken for the young woman's sweetheart, perhaps, or for family. I do wish it to be the former - I am such a romantic... sad, I know.

Very pleased with my photographs - they fit perfectly in the album and look about right for the period. Even though I love collecting old photographs, I cannot help feeling a little disrespectful for they are such personal things. It is sad to think that these people are dead and we know nothing of there lives save for what they looked like. Not even a name. I wonder what they would think knowing that their photographs were in a cardboard box in a flea market. I like to think that by buying these portraits I am keeping some sort of memory safe, whereas if not the photos would get mistreated and lost. Ah, maybe I am thinking too much into it now. I digress.
If anybody may have some information or I have got something wrong, like dates or costumes etc,  it would be lovely to know. Updates coming in the future when I find more photographs.
Best Wishes.

1890's Photograph Album

Oh, how I love charity shops! I have recently bought an old photograph album. Though it was mostly void of photos and has significant water damage, I still could not resist and bought it for £9 - a bargain I think! It is a lovely old thing - a really big and heavy book, leather with a nice clasp and everything. I have done some research and concluded that the album is from the 1890s. Very old indeed!

I was disappointed at first to see that the album was empty, but as I turned over the last page I found this photograph...

A mysterious man... how intriguing!

What a fine young gentleman! I wonder who he was, and why was his the only photo left? To try to answer that; the dampness had fused the photograph to the paper backing, but if he was that important surely somebody could have cut it out or something? And the water damage seems to be  a later addition to the album... I wonder who owned this book, what family did it belong to? Ah, so many questions which will never be answered! It is indeed a mystery!

I cannot bear to see this photo album empty, and the young gentleman on his own, so I have decided to find some old photographs, preferably ones from the later Victorian era. I will post any photos I manage to find.

Best Wishes