Dating old photos can be tricky. Using some of the tips below, you may be able to get an idea of when it was taken. Students from Medway recently attended a photography course at our local libraries and have learnt some of these skills. Visit Picture Medway to view the full exhibition.
What is the subject of the photo?
- individual pose, family group
- group (work, hobby, sport), special event
- location, building, urban, rural or coastal scene
If there are people in the photo, what they are wearing?
- for men: work clothes, suits, ties, hats
- for women: length of dress or coat, hat
- for children: length of trousers and dresses
- footwear style
If your photo is a street scene:
- is the road busy or quiet?
- is it a town centre or byway?
Are there vehicles in the picture?
- powered by or pulled by?
- style of vehicle
- number plates?
If your image shows shops, look at
- shop fronts
- window and interior displays
- goods for sale
These are a few tricks to work out the time period or era a photo was taken.
To find out more or try and date some of our older photos, head over to the Medway Archives.