Fashionable Friday - Late 1870's Spencer, Mass Fashionista

Unidentified 1870's Spencer, MA woman

Today's Fashionable Friday photograph is a CDV (Carte de Visite) most likely from the late 1870's. The subject is a young, curly-haired woman with a somber look about her.  She almost seems a bit dazed.  The photograph was taken in half pose from the waist up and from what I can tell she is dressed quite fashionably in the style of the mid to late 1870's.  Her hairstyle is somewhat typical of the era with frizzy bangs and although most womn pulled their hair up into a bun on top of their heads hers is more towards the back.  I suspect this young woman may have had a little trouble managing all those tight curls!  The 1870's trend of wearing hair piled high on the head was to make way for the high, elaborate collars and necklines.   The trend was lots of lace and trim about the neck, the more the better.  I think this subject's neckline definitely fits all these criteria! She is even wearing a type of chain that was commonly seen on women at that time.  The dress is a bit unusual from the little I can see, the sleeves and buttons in particular.

I have written before about the photographer, E. L. Jaynes who was Edward Lyman James born in Massachusetts in 1842.  Jaynes was a well-known photographer in Spencer and died there in 1937.  See here for previous posts.

Mystery Monday - Girl from Spencer, Mass - Who is She?

Yesterday I posted in my ongoing "Women with Hats" category a post about a young woman from Spencer, MA which I dated between 1895 and 1900. Today I am posting the second of two photos taken on the same day of my unidentified subject.  E. L. Jaynes who had a studio in Spencer between 1873 and at least 1920, was the photographer of this mystery girl.  The cabinet card from yesterday had plain rounded edges - today's card although nearly idential front and back, has beveled edges with gold gilt.  Obviously these pictures were taken on the same day; she is wearing the same dress, jewelry, her hair is the same minus the hat.  She is posed from the side in this shot and if you look closely you can see her long hair in a bun at the base of her neck.

Yesterday I talked about my trouble dating the photo, but I had decided it was between 1895 - 1900.  According to PhotoTree.com  "an analysis of nearly 200 cabinet cards from 1885 to 1900 showed about 50% were beveled and 50% were straight cut with the largest concentration of beveled card from the late 1880's."  Beveled edges were most popular between 1885 - 1895.  Her dress with the very short sleeves is what is giving me the most trouble in dating the photo, that is something I have not seen much but I have dated these cards around 1895 possibly to 1900.  I welcome any information to the contrary.

Sentimental Sunday - Women with Hats - Girl from Spencer, Mass

This lovely young lady with dark, curly hair is wearing a beautiful lacy dress and what appears to be a matching lace hat.  She also is wearing a choker necklace with pendant.  She has a very serene and contemplative expression on her face. There is nothing on either side of this cabinet card to identify her, but the photographer is E. L. Jaynes of Spencer, Mass. who had a very long and illustrious career in Spencer.   According to the back of the card, Jayne's studio was located at Comins & Ames's block, Main Street in Spencer. Dating this card has been difficult for me; E. L. practiced in Spencer between 1873 and 1920 and this card I at first believed  to have been done around 1885.  However, I have never seen a woman wearing such short sleeves in that time period.  I now believe this to be between the years 1895- 1900, tomorrow I will share why I think this to be true.  If anyone knows something that would point to a more definite date I would gladly appreciate the information.

E. L. Jaynes was Edward Lyman Jaynes born in Massachusetts in October 1842 to Lyman James (1814 - 1902) and Harriet Towne Janes (1821 - 1895).  It appears at some point E. L. changed the spelling of his last name adding the "y".  On 9 Aug 1862 at Sturbridge, MA he enlisted as a Private in the Civil War for the State of Massachusetts, listing his occupation as farmer.  He mustered out on 14 Oct 1862.  

According to the book, "Leading Businessmen of Spencer, Brookfield and Vicinity" published in 1889 by Mercantile Publishing he set up his photography business in Spencer sometime around 1873.  Also per the  book he was very succcessful at his profession and his work "decidedly superior to two-thirds of the work turned out in City Studios."  His studio was burned out in 1887 and he relocated to his then location on Comins & Ames - Main Street.  

In 1879 Edward married Inez McNeil, most likely in Spencer.  According to the 1900 Spencer, Worcester, MA census she was the mother of four children, three living, Florence I. aged 18, Emily M. aged 7 and Irene E. aged 2. With the large age gap between Florence and Emily most likely the fourth child was born and died between the two.  I found Edward and Inez in every census in Spencer up to 1930 at which time he was 88 years old.   He practiced his art until at least 1920 when he listed his occupation as photographer in the 1920 census.  His death is reported on Ancestry.com  in 1937 at age 95 in Worcester County, MA, but I could not find any documentation to back this up.  Regardless he lived a long and productive life.