C. 1895 – Portrait of an unknown couple, taken in Burnley, United Kingdom. © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com/Photo: Smith/Brunshaw Hill Studio
The story behind the image
Here is a cabinet photo that I purchased as part of the Schuetze-Osswald lot last year. Sadly, there is no information whatsoever concerning the couple depicted. It is not even clear whether there are any relations to the Schuetze/Osswald family at all. The cardboard is in a bad condition today, but the photo itself looks okay. I still removed countless small scratches and spots but present the full cardboard here for authenticity.
The photographer was Mr. Smith of the Brunshaw Hill Studio in Burnley, United Kingdom. Burnley is a city located halfway between Leeds and Blackpool. Sadly, I did not find any references to the photographer or the studio on the Internet. Even ChatGPT has no further information:
“Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any specific information in the available online sources about a photographer named Smith or a ‘Brunshaw Hill Studio’ in Burnley around 1890. However, it is known that Burnley was home to a variety of photographers and studios during this period that have been just sparsely documented.”
ChatGPT, May 2025
Still we can safely pinpoint the time of the shooting to be around 1895. That’s because the sleeves of the dress of the lady are quite voluminous, so-called leg-of-mtton sleeves which were popular in the early 1890s with a peak around 1895. The jacket of the gentleman with wide lapels and trousers with a light pattern (possibly tweed), combined with a bow tie style, are typical fashions around 1890–1895. What’s more, the vignetting of the photo is yet another indicator for the period. As both appear to be in their early to mid-20s, I’d guesstimate that they were born in or around Burnley between 1865 and 1875.
Whatever, I like the photo and the couple. 🙂
Design ideas
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | c. 1895 |
| Photographer | Smith, Brunshaw Hill Studio |
| Location | Burnley, United Kingdom |
| Image Source | 10.4 x 13.8 cm black & white albumen print mounted on solid cardboard |
| Digital Image Source | EPSON Perfection 4870 Photo |
| Digital Image Source Format | TIFF, 48 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 10298 x 15672 Pixels |
| Copyright | © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
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