Thank you to ALL who replied. I think Irene was finally able to "peg" it as "mourning attire" after finding something similar listed as a tintype for sale on eBay. Even with her vast knowledge of historical attire it certainly puzzled her too when she saw the pic. BUT when I looked at her kids deaths one died in 1897 and one in 1903 so she probably was in mourning for one of them...the picture certainly fits what her age would have been during that time.. Sure seems like a strange time to have your picture taken though LOL I wonder if photo technology was pretty new to them OR it was the first time she could afford to have her picture taken. We'll never know. I'll have to research tintypes as I think that might be the kind of picture it is. Thanks for ALL the responses. Joyce On Sun, May 31, 2015 at 5:25 AM, Irene Salazar <[email protected]> wrote: > I CAN MAYBE HELP. shirtwaists and lack of fuss were more business. Hats > large. > > Irene > >

I no longer have the photo but I don't recall that she was in black.  Mourning attire was always black.  "Light mourning", worn a long while after "deep mourning" was lavender.   Virginia   From: Joyce Presnall via <[email protected]>   Thank you to ALL who replied.  I think Irene was finally able to "peg" it as "mourning attire" after finding something  similar listed as a tintype for sale on eBay.