Old Conductor's Hat

[sanger]

I found the attached photo in my grandfathers photo box. I have no idea who the person it but it looks like he is wearing an old conductor's hat. I was wondering if anyone here is able to identify the rail company from the style of the hat. From the type of photo print I believe the photo was taken in the 1870's or 1880's. My grandfather was born in Canada but I believe this photo came from England.

 

[WesternLancer]

Hi - welcome to the forum. I would have expected a UK rail uniform hat to have had a railway insignia of some sort on it - but I am no expert so others may correct me on that - or do you think it could perhaps have been a railway hat that the person acquired even though they themselves were not a railway man - and thus would have removed the insignia just to use the hat?

A tip I have found helpful when trying to recognise people in photos if say they appear in a collection in another era - eg youth or older age, is to look carefully around the area of the eyes to see if they look familiar - suggestion being that area of the face changes less over time. No idea if that is any use but it has helped me identify people in family photos where they appear at very different stages of their lives, but were identified by name in at least one picture.

The seat and backdrop look like they are from the photographer's studio - was there any indication on the back of the photo or any frame etc of where that photographer was located?

Apols that my reply is not of much help.

 

[randyrippley]

FWIW you do realise the photo has been reversed L-R?

Or possibly the photo is of a woman and her hair has been piled into the high-set cap.
Feminine face, no facial hair or sideburns or even a razor shadow
Looks like a female cheesecloth shirt and cravat
Caps like that were sometimes worn by tramcar conductors, but with no other sign of uniform except a badge.
No badge in this case, but could have been attached to the money bag.
There's a watch chain going into her right pocket which reinforces the train or tram connection

 

[AlterEgo]

I found the attached photo in my grandfathers photo box. I have no idea who the person it but it looks like he is wearing an old conductor's hat. I was wondering if anyone here is able to identify the rail company from the style of the hat. From the type of photo print I believe the photo was taken in the 1870's or 1880's. My grandfather was born in Canada but I believe this photo came from England.

View attachment 91713

My spidey senses tell me that photo looks more Canadian than British for reasons I can’t quite fathom. Are you sure it was taken in this country?

 

[randyrippley]

If I'm right (and its a big if) it could be worth asking the admin of this website, dedicated to UK tram uniforms, buttons and badges

Tramway System of the British Isles, their Uniforms, Badges and Buttons

www.tramwaybadgesandbuttons.com

 

[pdeaves]

My spidey senses tell me that photo looks more Canadian than British for reasons I can’t quite fathom. Are you sure it was taken in this country?

The hat looks too tall to be British, in my opinion. Might that be it?

 

[Gloster]

I agree that the hat does not look British, but my knowledge of railways on the other side of the pond is almost none existant, so I can’t say if it is typical for Canada.

Some of the early photographic processes did involve reversing the image: the final image still looked fine to the sitter as it was what they saw in a mirror, being itself a (ahem) mirror-image.