Old Photo Identification: Ove Tintypes Update

Nearly two years ago I posted about a set of tintype photos that were passed down in the Ove family. Unfortunately, the photos had no names, dates, labels or other forms of identification. I have shared them with many distant cousins in hopes that the individuals in the photos could be identified, with no luck.

Identifying Individuals in Old Photos

There are ways of identifying the folks in those old nameless photos with a little sleuthing. Here are some simple suggestions to help you solve your own photo mysteries:

• Create a high-quality scan (1200 ppi) on your computer so it is easier to zoom in on each individual in the photo and look for clues.
• Take note of the type of photo paper and research when it was in use.
• Take note of photographer marks which may help you identify the time and place the photo was taken.
• Check the photo background for clues about the date, location and time of year (ie. summer or winter clothing, houses, businesses, street signs, flags, types of trees can all offer clues).
• Search the internet for examples of clothing and hairstyles during different periods of time. Photos can usually be narrowed to within a few years by examining popular clothing styles.
• Take note of the details: wedding rings, broaches, membership pins, etc. can all supply details about the individuals wearing them.
• Pay attention to the seating arrangement and body language of individuals (ie. leaning towards each other, holding hands) as well as their facial expressions––are the somber faces because it is a funeral gathering?
• Compare with your own family tree to narrow down which individuals could have fit into that picture during the established time period.

Sleuthing Identities in the Ove Tintypes

For the Ove Tintypes, I decided to seek professional assistance by reaching out to Maureen Taylor aka the Photo Detective. She is a premier forensic photo identification expert and she offers both classes and consultations at reasonable rates. With Maureen’s help, I believe that we have identified the individuals in two more of the tintypes.

Things of note about this tintype:

• Tintype studios provided a relatively inexpensive form of family photography through about 1900.
• The two women are holding hands indicating a close relationship (sisters).
• The young boy seated in front of the woman on the left indicates she is likely his mother.
• Clothing styles are indicative of the late 1880s to early 1890s.
• Mary Hasalhougen (the woman on the right) was married to Jacob Ove in December of 1888 and gave birth to her daughter, Nettie, in January of 1890. She doesn’t appear visibly pregnant which leads me to believe the photo was before 1898.
• Hans was born in 1880 which would make him age 8––about the right age of the boy in this photo.

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I know from comparisons with other photos that the man on the left is Jacob Ove, but have been unsure about the man on the right. The two of them do not have any family resemblance. After identifying Mary Hasalhougen in the first photo I believe I may have found the answer. Mary’s face shape and features are very similar to the man on the right. I am less certain about this identification because there are no other known photos of Lars, but if this photo was taken around the time of Jacob and Mary’s wedding (in the early winter of 1888) it would make sense that Lars might want to sit for a photo with his son-in-law to be.

Things of note about this tintype:

• The mens suits are indicative of the late 1880s to early 1890s.
• The fur caps could signify cold winter weather outside in Barron County, Wisconsin.
• Jacob has no wedding ring on, but the man on the right appears to. Jacob was married December of 1888, so it is possible this photo was taken before that time.
• Lars Hasalhougen died in April of 1892.

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For more information about the Hasalhougen/Ove family see the Ancestry.com tree linked below: