C. 1885 – Portrait of an unknown lady, taken in Burnley, United Kingdom. © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com/Photo: Joseph Wilkinson
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 lady on the photo. It is not even clear whether there are any relations to the Schuetze/Osswald family at all. The photo has aged significantly over time and is in a bad condition today. However, I recovered the image so we can enjoy it just like the folks who got it from the photographer in 1885.
1885? That’s just my estimate for this photo. The photographer was Joseph Wilkinson who had his studio in 59 Albion Street, Maida Hill in Burnley, Lancashire, United Kingdom. The city is located halfway between Leeds and Blackpool. Apparently, Wilkinson shows up under this address in business listings from 1883. Later, there were other photographers named Wilkinsons but I did not check whether they were related. This may be a good starting point for further research.
The year is also a good match for the format (cabinet photo), the somewhat aged condition of the photo, and of course the clothing style.
Here’s a before-after comparison of the photo:
Design ideas
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | c. 1885 |
| Photographer | Joseph Wilkinson |
| Location | Burnley, United Kingdom |
| Image Source | 8.9 x 14.4 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 | 9132 x 13592 Pixels |
| Copyright | © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com/Photo: J. Wilkinson |
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