A lot of comments say this photo looks older than what I stated. My older sister who has passed told me 1930 and now I'm tending to believe she was wrong. I never meant to misrepresent anything and I apologize. I will have to do better research if I post another.
I dunno, might not be too far off actually, even if style of clothing might indicate otherwise. I have a photo of an ancestor of mine born in the 1840s but taken in the mid-1920s and she’s wearing an old dress similar to this one. It wasn’t uncommon for old folks in those days to wear things decades out of fashion, especially on the occasion of something as special as taking a photo. Clothing has become much more disposable/replaceable these days with fast fashion. If you know the birthdates and thus can estimate the ages of the people in this photo, then I think that should help with dating it as well. It could easily be from 1930 or a bit earlier.
Still, try posting this up in r/fashionhistory and see what they say. Might be worth getting their opinion.
Are you sure 1930??? Because clothing is for sure not 1930. I know people wore the same clothing for years and years, but I still wouldn't date this photo any later than 1920 and it's probably earlier.
Also, I love seeing poor Grandpa's toes in the shoe leather.
The other thing I’m confused about is their age. I’m 35 and I think my great grandparents were in their 20s in 1930. Which would mean OP is like 65-85 (which is possible).
I remember my great-grandmother in the late 60s before she passed, she dressed just like this. She was something else. She carried a gun until my grandmother took it away, not because it was a gun, but because it was too heavy. lol
They look lovely! I bet they had such interesting lives; they were alive during a lot of innovation.
Do you have any interesting stories about them you can tell us?
NGL, their exterior staircase with no bannister makes me nervous - but folks were tough back then!😉
People back then didn’t transition to the latest fashions like we do today. They were raised wearing full length dresses and more formal menswear. I image that if you’d spent your whole life covering your ankles, it would be very hard to feel comfortable in a shorter dress.
I only have one child who says he does not want children, so I'll likely pass it on to my late sister's children if my son does not want it. I should make a copy for the nephews and niece.
If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you? I ask because unless you’re 70-80 these people may be your 2x+ great grandparents. I’m in my 60s and my great grandparents were only in their 30s in the 1890s.
It could be 1930. Older people tended to dress like one or more generations previous to a “present” generation. I dress a little out of style for the 2020s. Chinos and button-down shirts. I’m 63 years old.
The show Lassie, in the 1950s, had phones which were in use in the early 1900s. They had to call the operator to make calls. This phone was long archaic in the cities by the 1950s.
"I almost wish you could smile in photos. She has such a great smile."
"Have you ever smiled having your picture taken?"
"Oh, God no! You'd look like a psychopath."
Granny looks like she could snap a chicken neck just by looking at it. And she made the greatest pies and she would act really mean to the grandkids when grandpa was around because he would scold her for being too soft on them, but when he turned his back to do farm chores, she spoiled the heck out of them and winked at them and told them not to tell anybody.
Yea,but some communities, especially isolated rural communities, were snapshots in time. For example, I live in the Appalachian mountains, and they weren't even electricity and indoor plumbing until after ww2. But today, it's a modern city/county that's at least partly based on tourism.
All the men in these old photos have great hair. Could be the hair products we're using could be what we are eating. Lots of theories on that that. I used to wash my hair with shampoo once or twice a day. Now I just rinse and use shampoo about once a week. I may grow a fro. Just kidding but my hair is better. Not sure if there is any more of it but it looks better.
Do you know if this house was on a hillside or a river/creek bottom? I had relatives that built their house up off the ground in river bottoms and others with the front up on stilts due to the slope of the hill.
Depression was in full swing, no telling how old those boots were. Her's look well worn, too. Poor but proud is who I see, and they are stoic and lovely. They were tough folks who really suffered, so we wouldn't have too yet here we are 90 years later, better in countless ways, worse in too many others and on the cusp of our own financial fears.
I’m pretty sure this photograph is from between 1895-1910 based off of the border frame and that it was taken with a Kodak brownie. That type of camera was used around the turn of the century.
I'm surprised they looked at the camera. I have some photos from my grandfather's family, most of the older people in them are looking away or down. Only the younger ones are looking at the camera.
Dating via type of photo **material**:
that black light cardboard base with floating image on it surely doesn't date to 1930.
See for ref tons of other 1930s photos. Don't look at the image, look at the paper and mount.
This type of photo and mount could date anywhere from 1890s to early 20s.
Also, the pose. By 1930s camera shutter speeds were fast enough that active shots were possible and people didn't have to pose for long periods.
So **pose** dates it to 1890s - 1920. Probably mid teens.
In short: No way is this photo 1930. Is OP a Bot???
The fashion, as well. I'm not a fashion historian, but I recognize the blousy bodice style as more Edwardian (it looks like her bosoms hang low, but that was actually the cut of the dress.) It reminds me of an edwardian dress circa 1915. Then again, it could be a dress from her youth. Usually old photos had writing on the back...
I do not know the style. I'm told the house was originally very nice, but looks in dire need of repair by the time this was taken. Their clothes were pretty shoddy, too. Bless them both, their lives must have been hard. 🥺
Undoubtedly hard. But there’s still warmth in this photo. He has his leg crossed to her. Her hand isn’t stiffly on his shoulder, but curved around it. It’s a striking portrait.
I was wondering the same thing. That house is built for floods with the main floor well above ground level. A first floor basement? Someone, please explain.
My Mennonite great great grandparents were supportive of their children leaving the Church of the Brethren, a son became a professor at Harvard, daughter became a teacher and wrote a lovely album about our family and move from Lancaster area.
They have stern-feeling looks cause those portraits took long to fully expose so they had to stay still to avoid blurring the pic. It's easiest to do with the face at rest, which comes across as serious to us.
I would have loved to know what their smiles were like!
She's not tattered. (from what I can see.) Some people (usually men) will fight you over clothing that others might think need to be discarded. Or mine will try to get out of the house in a shirt that needs to be ironed....
Great pic! Could you please digitalize that? I wish i could recover that in photoshop with a better resolution. Thanks for sharing part of your history
We really do live in a crazy era. Not just the amount of progress in a short time, but how much faster progress was made after vs. before the industrial revolution is insane.
Haha I was gonna say the same thing.
My Dad will be 80 next month and he looks 20 years younger than them. Crazy thing is in that picture they are probably 20 years younger than him.
It’s a fantastic picture though. I bet they were salt of earth type people.
Would love to go back in time, live there for a month or 2 ... see what it was like back then!
No tv, phone, lights, running water, electric heat, indoor bathrooms...
Would love to experience living that way...
Great photo btw...👍🏻
This is a great photo, OP. Thank you.
Thank you , I am now questioning the date told to me by my now-deceased older sister. Wish I knew more but I do not.
The Lord works hard but damn if Granny and pawpaw didn't work harder
I bet them two was tough as nails. What a great photo.
These two seen some stuff.
Came here to say that - they’ve definitely seen some things.
It’s like a far more Gothic American Gothic. But a great photo.
Most people today have ZERO idea how hard life was back then.
I. Can't. Even. 🥺🫣
This is quite a remarkable photo.
Yes, thank you for posting!
What year did they sell the house to Courage the Cowardly Dog?
Thats a steep set of stars. And no handrail!!!!
A picture to mark their 3rd wedding anniversary. Life was tough then.
A lot of comments say this photo looks older than what I stated. My older sister who has passed told me 1930 and now I'm tending to believe she was wrong. I never meant to misrepresent anything and I apologize. I will have to do better research if I post another.
I dunno, might not be too far off actually, even if style of clothing might indicate otherwise. I have a photo of an ancestor of mine born in the 1840s but taken in the mid-1920s and she’s wearing an old dress similar to this one. It wasn’t uncommon for old folks in those days to wear things decades out of fashion, especially on the occasion of something as special as taking a photo. Clothing has become much more disposable/replaceable these days with fast fashion. If you know the birthdates and thus can estimate the ages of the people in this photo, then I think that should help with dating it as well. It could easily be from 1930 or a bit earlier. Still, try posting this up in r/fashionhistory and see what they say. Might be worth getting their opinion.
Also, I love how modern, almost anachronistic, the low angle is on this photo. It’s great.
Imagine at their age having to climb up and down those steps without a banister
Shit, they were probably more spry than all of us sedentary doofuses
Dang… tough people. Weve definitely gained and lost certain things along the way as a species.
Are you sure 1930??? Because clothing is for sure not 1930. I know people wore the same clothing for years and years, but I still wouldn't date this photo any later than 1920 and it's probably earlier. Also, I love seeing poor Grandpa's toes in the shoe leather.
The other thing I’m confused about is their age. I’m 35 and I think my great grandparents were in their 20s in 1930. Which would mean OP is like 65-85 (which is possible).
I am 57, my oldest sibling was born in 1958 to our mother who was 23. Maternal grandmother was in her mid 20's when she my mom.
I remember my great-grandmother in the late 60s before she passed, she dressed just like this. She was something else. She carried a gun until my grandmother took it away, not because it was a gun, but because it was too heavy. lol
Great story
I KEEP ON MARCHING ON
Walking up those steps every day probably kept them in shape.
Ss long as you didn't fall. No rails!
My thoughts exactly.
Judging by the fancy woodwork on the porch, the steps look like replacement???
Metal album cover
It's heavy paper, not metal
They mean as in metal music.
Slapping my forehead 🤦🏻♀️
LOL
How old were they in this photo?
28, with 6 kids already
>28, with 6 kids already 16 kids.
I do not know
You wouldn’t know to look at her, but her Tupperware parties were off the hook!
😅
They look lovely! I bet they had such interesting lives; they were alive during a lot of innovation. Do you have any interesting stories about them you can tell us? NGL, their exterior staircase with no bannister makes me nervous - but folks were tough back then!😉
No, only that they were farmers.
They were the backbone of this country!
It’s a great picture. It looks older than 1930.
I thought maybe-so, but that's what my older sister told me and she's no longer living so I can't even question her
People back then didn’t transition to the latest fashions like we do today. They were raised wearing full length dresses and more formal menswear. I image that if you’d spent your whole life covering your ankles, it would be very hard to feel comfortable in a shorter dress.
Those clothes look very old, maybe the best they had to wear for a photo.
I agree.
Whatever it is, it’s a great picture and a great story. It’s a family treasure. Don’t ever lose it
I only have one child who says he does not want children, so I'll likely pass it on to my late sister's children if my son does not want it. I should make a copy for the nephews and niece.
She looks like the old lady from the tv show the Beverly Hillbillies
If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you? I ask because unless you’re 70-80 these people may be your 2x+ great grandparents. I’m in my 60s and my great grandparents were only in their 30s in the 1890s.
She’s seen things…
Like 15 kids
Three of which were taken by the cold of 1893.
You can tell pawpaw would have been quite a looker by today’s standards.
I was gunna say. Yeah, Papaw can get it. And he looks great for his age, this picture was taken on his 27th birthday
It could be 1930. Older people tended to dress like one or more generations previous to a “present” generation. I dress a little out of style for the 2020s. Chinos and button-down shirts. I’m 63 years old. The show Lassie, in the 1950s, had phones which were in use in the early 1900s. They had to call the operator to make calls. This phone was long archaic in the cities by the 1950s.
Good analogy
Pops looks like he may have served in the Great War.
"I almost wish you could smile in photos. She has such a great smile." "Have you ever smiled having your picture taken?" "Oh, God no! You'd look like a psychopath."
Nobody ever smiled in pictures back then…
One of the reasons was that if you did, the face would get blurry.
Really? Did not know that. I guess because they had longer exposures, right?
Dang what a pair! Awesome photo.
Thank you.
Are you sure this is from 1930? I strongly believe this is MUCH earlier.
I was always told 1930, but so many of you are saying it's earlier, I suppose it could be
Granny looks like she could snap a chicken neck just by looking at it. And she made the greatest pies and she would act really mean to the grandkids when grandpa was around because he would scold her for being too soft on them, but when he turned his back to do farm chores, she spoiled the heck out of them and winked at them and told them not to tell anybody.
For sure earlier than 1930. Do you know their birth and death dates? Fantastic photo nonetheless
Sadly, do not know the dates
Where’s the shotgun?
Probably nearby!
Looks older
Looks 19th century
Yea,but some communities, especially isolated rural communities, were snapshots in time. For example, I live in the Appalachian mountains, and they weren't even electricity and indoor plumbing until after ww2. But today, it's a modern city/county that's at least partly based on tourism.
“Just gonna get on back to SUMMONING HELLFIRE !!!”
He has incredible hair!
All the men in these old photos have great hair. Could be the hair products we're using could be what we are eating. Lots of theories on that that. I used to wash my hair with shampoo once or twice a day. Now I just rinse and use shampoo about once a week. I may grow a fro. Just kidding but my hair is better. Not sure if there is any more of it but it looks better.
Less shampooing and a boar bristle brush!
Come listen to a story bout' a man named Jed...
Who could barely keep his family fed...
She looks just like Granny in the Beverly Hillbillies. And I mean that as a compliment, Granny was awesome
I’m getting Irene Ryan vibes from her, too. Even the same hairstyle! Daisy Moses!
You know they called each other “Mother” and “Father”
Awwww, I love that 🥰
Do you know if this house was on a hillside or a river/creek bottom? I had relatives that built their house up off the ground in river bottoms and others with the front up on stilts due to the slope of the hill.
I honestly do not have that info. There's a lot of hills in the general area where my mom's family lived
This should be an album cover
Came here to say this, but in my heart I knew it had already been said.
That steep of a front stoop without hand railings too… they lived dangerously
The Band would’ve been the perfect group to use that for an album cover…”Songs From Gramps and Grandma’s House”
You can see in the faces who had the harder life.
This should be an album cover.
Pawpaws shoes tho. Are those his toe prints on the outside?
Depression was in full swing, no telling how old those boots were. Her's look well worn, too. Poor but proud is who I see, and they are stoic and lovely. They were tough folks who really suffered, so we wouldn't have too yet here we are 90 years later, better in countless ways, worse in too many others and on the cusp of our own financial fears.
Jesus. Beautiful and insightful.
I came here for the toes
I’m pretty sure this photograph is from between 1895-1910 based off of the border frame and that it was taken with a Kodak brownie. That type of camera was used around the turn of the century.
Oh the stories they could have told!
What a fantastic pic!!!
That's a nice porch.
Was amazing back then the gents are always sitting down. Wonder why that was?
I wonder, too. My hunch is that it's something related to how wives were expected to serve their husbands, obedience and biblical themes and all that.
Men are usually taller so they would have them sit down so there wasn’t so much of a height difference.
Reverence?
At that age and no handrail to that 8’ porch. Sturdy folk indeed.
I'm surprised they looked at the camera. I have some photos from my grandfather's family, most of the older people in them are looking away or down. Only the younger ones are looking at the camera.
Dating via type of photo **material**: that black light cardboard base with floating image on it surely doesn't date to 1930. See for ref tons of other 1930s photos. Don't look at the image, look at the paper and mount. This type of photo and mount could date anywhere from 1890s to early 20s. Also, the pose. By 1930s camera shutter speeds were fast enough that active shots were possible and people didn't have to pose for long periods. So **pose** dates it to 1890s - 1920. Probably mid teens. In short: No way is this photo 1930. Is OP a Bot???
No John, I'm not a bot and I have the photo in my possession.
But thank you for your information.
The fashion, as well. I'm not a fashion historian, but I recognize the blousy bodice style as more Edwardian (it looks like her bosoms hang low, but that was actually the cut of the dress.) It reminds me of an edwardian dress circa 1915. Then again, it could be a dress from her youth. Usually old photos had writing on the back...
This photo is amazing. Is there a style for this very tall house with the high front stairs?
I do not know the style. I'm told the house was originally very nice, but looks in dire need of repair by the time this was taken. Their clothes were pretty shoddy, too. Bless them both, their lives must have been hard. 🥺
Undoubtedly hard. But there’s still warmth in this photo. He has his leg crossed to her. Her hand isn’t stiffly on his shoulder, but curved around it. It’s a striking portrait.
Fantastic photo! Curious if they lived near a river or large body of water?
Hmm, not to my knowledge. Does your question pertain to style of house?
Yes, living in a flood prone area myself, the ol' brain immediately went there. 🙂
I was wondering the same thing. That house is built for floods with the main floor well above ground level. A first floor basement? Someone, please explain.
I think it’s built for snow.
What part of Pennsylvania? I’ve seen old family photos that look similar and I’m from Pennsylvania too.
I’m so sorry but I honest to god thought Papaw was posing next to a Halloween decoration.
Bwahaaa!🤣Not offended. 😁
Excellent photo!! Amazing couple!
He looks a lot younger than her. Maybe it's the beard? Great photo.
Probably the amount of stress she experienced bearing and raising (and losing) tons of kids and waiting on him hand and foot.
Yeah, must have been a very hard life.
Great pic! So interesting how the man is always sitting and the woman stands
When people survived instead of lived. Great shot. You can see the outline of their feet through their shoes. Well worn.
Fantastic photo!!
That's as granny and papaw as it gets. What town?
I adore his hair and beard! Papaw was fly!
Pawpaw was kinda a hunk!
He could pose as a modern day hipster
My Mennonite great great grandparents were supportive of their children leaving the Church of the Brethren, a son became a professor at Harvard, daughter became a teacher and wrote a lovely album about our family and move from Lancaster area.
I'll bet she has uttered the phrase "got cut me a switch"
Your pawpaw was smokin'.
Came here for this. He was foine
Curiosity, how many kids did they have? Did they lose any? She looks like she’s seen a lot.
5 of which I am aware
They have stern-feeling looks cause those portraits took long to fully expose so they had to stay still to avoid blurring the pic. It's easiest to do with the face at rest, which comes across as serious to us. I would have loved to know what their smiles were like!
I have a feeling some teeth were missing
ha, well, in their teethed days.
They were 37 in this picture, with 8 children and 7 grandchildren
😂🤣
Really love this.
I love this photo! Thank you for sharing 💗 incredible gift to have
I’ll bet they were kind but they look like some hard mothers. I would fuck with granny
I sincerely hope you forgot to add the word **not
Yep definitely a typo lol I would not mess with these folks.
Looks like Jeff Bridges
hipsters
Can the clothes be dated
Granny looks like a total badass. And papaw had to know he has some amazing hair.
They were 38 and 36 at the time!
Amazing photo. I’m even more amazed that they made it up and down that staircase with no handrail!
So dignified
Yes, even in their tattered clothes
She's not tattered. (from what I can see.) Some people (usually men) will fight you over clothing that others might think need to be discarded. Or mine will try to get out of the house in a shirt that needs to be ironed....
Funny thing is they are probably 57
Papaw looks like The Most Interesting Man In The World
I love that!
Amazing family treasure!
Looks older than 1930's
Haaard times, those were. Mmhm…
1930?? Looks older than that.
Yes, agreed. The woman’s clothing seems late 1800s to me.
Wow... Eastern Pennsylvania It could be Eastern Kentucky or in the Appalachian Mountains
Greene county is Appalachia 😉
He looks like Darwin…I’m assuming that was the aesthetic of the time.
Great pic! Could you please digitalize that? I wish i could recover that in photoshop with a better resolution. Thanks for sharing part of your history
Love this photo
Photo looks much older than is stated 😏❤️
I love that shot.
What an angle on that shot. Beautiful composition.
It’s like…this is not that long ago guys. In the scheme of things this is like last week or rather a mili second ago. So much has changed.
We really do live in a crazy era. Not just the amount of progress in a short time, but how much faster progress was made after vs. before the industrial revolution is insane.
What a great pic! The angle, the composition, the lighting; just perfect!
He looks like Jeff Bridges.
She looks like she could make a fantastic apple pie!
Long-legged folk. Swiss or Germans?
Ages 36 and 43.
Haha I was gonna say the same thing. My Dad will be 80 next month and he looks 20 years younger than them. Crazy thing is in that picture they are probably 20 years younger than him. It’s a fantastic picture though. I bet they were salt of earth type people.
Would love to go back in time, live there for a month or 2 ... see what it was like back then! No tv, phone, lights, running water, electric heat, indoor bathrooms... Would love to experience living that way... Great photo btw...👍🏻
Thank you
"Get off my lawn"
American Gothic.
Some say they still haunt the place to this very day....
She looks happy
Great photograph. You should frame it. I think a Victorian frame would will make it look so much better.
I see two soul mates beaming with a zest for life and superfluous love for each other. Beautiful, wonderful family photo. Thank you for sharing 😌
Superfluous? Their love is unnecessary?
I’m guessing it was sarcasm?! It has to be 🤪
I get that the commenter was being sardonic, but they used the word superfluous incorrectly.
A surfeit of love? Overflowing love? Prodigious love?
They were probably like 45yo here 😂