size 4-1/4" X 6-1/2"
I don't collect photos (unless they are postcards), and I don't even have many old family photos. When I saw this week's Sepia Saturday prompt, I remembered that I have one old unidentified photo. I thought it was a photo of a family. However, it turned out to be a photo of five unidentified women by Swedish photographer Louise Lefrén.
These women don't have a very strong resemblance to each other, but it is possible that they are all members of the same family. Actually, I couldn't think of any other reason that these women would have gotten together for a studio portrait. At first I though the books might be a clue. However, books are very common studio props that usually don't seem to have any special significance. Since this photo ended up in the United States, I think it is possible that he group or family might have wanted a group portrait before one of their members emigrated.
Louise Lefrén is listed on an Alphabetical Record of Swedish photographers (http://www.genealogi.se/pdf/1911.pdf). (Google translation: Alphabetical district records. The dates in parentheses (1899, 1911) indicates that they are in Swedish Photographers List of anno 1899 respectively. 1911th)
Lefrén, Louise Storgatan 11. Etabl. 1880 (1899)The Storgatan (High or Main Street) 11 address appears on the back of my photo. The words below that (Plåten förvaras för efterbeställning) translate as "The plate is kept for after ordering."
Storgatan 20, etabl. 1 juli 1880, inneh. Louise Lefrén, f. 29/8 1859 (1911)
There is a page of recognized photo portraits taken by Louise Lefrén here. Most of those photos are identified but not dated. A few that have the photographer's name and address embossed in a similar lettering style also have embossed dates 1901-1903. I didn't notice any mounts with white lettering printed on brown cardboard like my photo.
One of those photos is dated 1903 and is a portrait of three women with similar props.
I didn't have much luck identifying the fashions in my photo. They are not like the clothing in the 1902 (reproduction) edition of the Sears Catalog. They also don't appear as "fashionable" as the ones illustrated in fashion plates. I didn't see any clothing with the kind of ruffles that are on two of the women's dresses.
One of those photos is dated 1903 and is a portrait of three women with similar props.
I didn't have much luck identifying the fashions in my photo. They are not like the clothing in the 1902 (reproduction) edition of the Sears Catalog. They also don't appear as "fashionable" as the ones illustrated in fashion plates. I didn't see any clothing with the kind of ruffles that are on two of the women's dresses.
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I think the fashions are from around the turn of the century, and the group could well be a mother (second from left) with her four daughters.
ReplyDeleteBest Swedish group since ABBA.
ReplyDeleteOr before ABBA, as it may. Way before. By the way, I had occasion to link to one of your much older posts in the comments in my blog today:
click here
It's beautiful photo. It would be great to find identities.
ReplyDeleteWell I Guess These Are Quite Liberally Minded Ladies.....?I Guess This Not By What Can Be Seen But What Is Absent (eg the usual female "Props" such as Husbands/Fathers/Children!)
ReplyDeleteThese are crystal clear and are both very interesting.
ReplyDeleteKathy M.
Intriguing photos especially the group of three.
ReplyDeleteThe tallest woman in the group of three looks a she is about to do the ironing
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Nowadays I don't think many younger women would want to be seen with books in the background!
ReplyDeleteThe first one could be wives and sisters of a family. Or a book club!
ReplyDeleteI like Brett's answer though a Stockholm ladies book club would be fun.
ReplyDeleteA woman photographer is very interesting and quite progressive for the era. I wonder how common that was in the Scandinavian countries. Perhaps they are all lady photographers?
My guess on the first photo is friends or relations.
ReplyDeleteSecond photo the same except I agree with Brett that the photo is near the turn of the century based on the clothing.
Well it's a charming photograph of a group of serene looking women. By the way your link on Mr Linky doesn't appear to be working.
ReplyDeleteHmmm....intriguing....in the first photo the woman in the middle could be in mourning yes? That's all I can offer...now if there had been a wedding cake, all would be solved...
ReplyDeleteTwo lovely photos! It's a mystery, isn't it.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny how we always assume with old photos that the people are related? We rarely think that maybe they were just best friends who had a day out for lunch and a photo taken. I like to think these ladies were best friends before the awkward "BFF" ever came along.
ReplyDeleteI suppose the various props were there so that people had something to do with their hands in posed photographs. Lovely photograph. The art of posed photographs seems to have been lost in this digital age.
ReplyDeleteThey are very attractive groups anyway. Well spotted that the props are the same in both.
ReplyDeleteI thought that woman in the 2nd photo was poised to iron, too, but not many wrinkles would be removed with a book on a wicker table.
ReplyDeleteI think it's likely the first group is a family one of sorts just because of the logistics of getting everyone together and I can see resemblances. I have groups where all the women are in one photo, and assume father and sons in another (but of course they'd be with the male lines). They're fascinating photos though. It's possible the three women may have been friends, perhaps emigrating together?
ReplyDeleteThe are stunning- how lucky that you had these.
ReplyDeleteLooking at such pictures, we usually assume there is a family connection between the figurants, but what if they are part of an organisation, a charity group, a church group or some other activity?
ReplyDelete:)~
HUGZ
Looking at such pictures, we usually assume there is a family connection between the figurants, but what if they are part of an organisation, a charity group, a church group or some other activity?
ReplyDelete:)~
HUGZ
I do see a slight resemblance but even if there isn't its a charming photograph. The fact that it was a female photographer reminded me of the Swedish film "Everlasting Moments" based on the directors wife's great aunt a photographer in Malmo in the early 20th century.
ReplyDeleteI also thought that maybe the ladies were in a book club. In fact, I think I'll have to take a photo of the members of my book club just like that one. Maybe someday someone will puzzle over us.
ReplyDeleteNancy
You might have more luck in understanding what they are wearing if you look at traditional Swedish clothes.I don't know - just an idea
ReplyDeleteI spend (waste) a lot of time dreaming about the photographs that we sometimes get in lots of postcards. Yours are lovely