Figure 1.--This cabinet card depicts a substantial late-Victorian family from Oxford. Between the parents are dive childen, we think two boys, two girls and a baby. They look to be about 1-8 years old. Two of the children look to be twins, we think fraternal twins because they look like a boy and girl. Three of the children wear identical dresses with destincrive stripe overlay. We are unsure about the colors. Two of the three children in dresses have bangs and short hair. The older girl has short ringlets. One of the children is clearly a boy. He looks to be about 7 years old and wears a Norfolk suit with an Eton collar and bow tie. The portrait is undated, but we would guess was taken in the 1890s, porobably the early-90s.

This cabinet card depicts a substantial late-Victorian family from Oxford. Between the parents are dive childen, we think two boys, two girls and a baby. The children look to be about 1-8 years old. The baby wears a white dress and is probably a boy. Two of the children look to be twins, we think fraternal twins because they look like a boy and girl. Three of the children wear identical dresses with destincrive stripe overlay and small lace collars. We are unsure about the colors. Two of the three children in dresses have bangs and short hair. The older girl has short ringlets. One of the children is clearly a boy. He looks to be about 7 years old and wears a Norfolk suit with an Eton collr and bow tie. The portrait is undated, but we would guess was taken in the early-1890s. A reader writes, "I would say this picture was taken in the late-80s. The woman's dress shows no signs of the 90s. Also the children's clothing looks like 80s to me." Here are reader is referring to the shoulders of the lady's dress which show little ecidence of the baloon shoulders that were prevalent in the 1890s. We thought tht fact that 1) the portrait was a cabinent card, 2) the boy is wearing a fully deceloped Norfolk suit, and 3) the children seem to be wearing black long stockings rather suggested the very early-90s. There is, however, only a few years difference and we think the lates-80s is certainly a reasonable assessment. Generally speaking, women's fashions are often a much more reliable dating tool than children's fashions. So our reader may well be correct.

Created: 2:53 AM 1/22/2010
Last updated: 6:04 AM 1/22/2010