# Eh. . . old pic: guess the ethnicity **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 5, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079 "2010-10-05T02:48:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/41 "2010-10-08T07:46:29Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Looks like a typical denizen of the North Pole to me. This is what I would’ve picked too, but I’ve not convinced myself as East European is a more likely guess. Perhaps North-Eastern; Estonia or Russia, or even Siberia. Incidentally, I’ve [cleaned the image up](http://guanolad.com/stuff/olden_days.jpg) a little for you. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/42 "2010-10-08T09:47:25Z")
The man actually looks like he could be related to some of my father’s Polish relatives. He appears to be tall and rawboned, which isn’t uncommon (at least of my ancestry) of that area. The woman, judging from comparisons to the man (if I’m not mistaken about his height) looks to be about 5’5"-5’7", tall for that era, but not uncommon. Although it’s difficult to tell, they both appear to have weathered, but light skin. It makes me wonder what color their eyes were. The woman’s hair doesn’t look too dark, although grey hair would appear light in photos of that era and the man’s hair/beard is white, putting her likely in that age bracket. I would say Northern European - Poland, northern Germany, Slovakia, parts of Scandinavia. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/43 "2010-10-08T14:04:34Z")
Still nothing confirmed, but I have narrowed it down to it most likely being: Either my great-grandmother’s sister and husband, or my great-grandmother’s parents. If it turns out to be either one of those, well those people are most definitely of British Isles lineage. The reason for my curiosity: There are a fair (ha! ha!) number of somewhat dark-complexioned people in my family, and I thought the chap might be Black or racially mixed. Every ancestral “line” that I’ve looked up has been lily white–except one, and that trail went cold because that great-grandmother died in 1915 (at only 28!). So far as I know, there are no pictures of her, and I haven’t been able to find whether or not she had any siblings. The “story” that’s been passed down is that she was part American Indian. Also, that side of the family claims “Black Dutch,” which could be anything. So. . . if this does turn out to be one of the two “finalists” above, it will be a bit of a disappointment. I was hoping to prove that I was a descendant of slaves (as someone who had supposedly researched family history claimed), but if it’s the case, it was so far back as to be irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/44 "2010-10-08T14:06:55Z")
I think the most telling detail is the fact that the man isn’t wearing a hat. In some cultures a man would wear a hat for a formal photograph. And also, the puffy shoulders on the woman’s dress might narrow it down. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/45 "2010-10-08T14:20:32Z")
And, BTW, thanks, GuanoLad, good job! ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/46 "2010-10-08T17:49:26Z")
Note the Rose crotch (AKA “flowering crotch”) exhibited by the male. This is one of the best indicators of Mid to Eastern European origin. ---
**Author:** ![pyromyte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d26b3c/32.png) [@pyromyte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pyromyte)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/47 "2010-10-08T20:28:27Z")
My first gut reaction was Filipino, but after reading the other responses, now I’m not so sure. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/48 "2010-10-08T20:36:45Z")
The first thing I thought looking at the man was Anthony Quinn. ---
**Author:** ![Peeta\_Mellark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Peeta\_Mellark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peeta_Mellark)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/49 "2010-10-08T20:56:04Z")
The man looks stereotypically Irish to me. The broad, slightly rounded end of the nose especially. Hard to judge jaw shape with that beard, though. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/50 "2010-10-08T22:37:14Z")
I now have a definite opinion. The responses here have convinced me that 80%+ of all people in photographs which are 100-140 years old all look vaguely similar. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/51 "2012-04-24T13:33:30Z")
Since I originally posted this photo, I did come up with further information that indicates that, sadly, these are just plain ol’ white folks, at least that’s how they’re listed in the census records. Born in the mid 1840s. She died @1905, and he died @1910. Thanks for the responses. > [@Isamu](#): > > Note the Rose crotch (AKA “flowering crotch”) exhibited by the male. This is one of the best indicators of Mid to Eastern European origin. Yeah, anyone with an idea on what the deal is with this? ---
**Author:** ![RedWood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f08c70/32.png) [@RedWood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedWood)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/52 "2012-04-24T15:05:38Z")
looks like a weatherbeaten Caucasian to me. now I can read the thread… hehe too late! ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/53 "2012-04-24T16:26:39Z")
Thanks for the update! ---
**Author:** ![DJ\_Motorbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@DJ\_Motorbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJ_Motorbike)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/54 "2012-04-25T14:54:25Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Since I originally posted this photo, I did come up with further information that indicates that, sadly, these are just plain ol’ white folks, ☹ That is so incredibly sad. This must be a difficult time for you. Best wishes, man, hang in there. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/55 "2012-04-25T17:59:14Z")
No clue why, but it screams french-canadienne-native-american to me. ---
**Author:** ![secretsmile36](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@secretsmile36](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/secretsmile36)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/56 "2012-04-25T20:04:54Z")
Polish. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/57 "2012-04-25T21:14:49Z")
> [@kim\_jung\_il](#): > > The man looks Hungarian, the woman looks Armenian. > > (I have no idea) No, I don’t think she looks Armenian. I also don’t think she’d have such a tiny dog if she was Armenian. Tr0psn4j, An Armenian (born and raised in L.A. though) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/58 "2012-04-25T21:31:57Z")
Don’t think they’re are any Armenians in my line. Although from the sounds some of them make, I could swear some of them are Flemish. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/59 "2012-04-25T22:08:31Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Since I originally posted this photo, I did come up with further information that indicates that, sadly, these are just plain ol’ white folks, at least that’s how they’re listed in the census records. Born in the mid 1840s. She died @1905, and he died @1910. Thanks for the responses. > > Yeah, anyone with an idea on what the deal is with this? I believe it’s (The floral crotch thing) the patterned fabric of the chair he’s sitting on. If he’d kept his knees together, he’d have little floral saddlebags instead. The woman looks very much like a friend of mine - Irish through & through. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079/60 "2012-04-26T06:04:43Z")
They look Alaskan Indian to me. Athabascan maybe? Anyway, to my eyes they’ve got that native look, especially the man. Rats…tooo late! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eh-old-pic-guess-the-ethnicity/556079.md?page=2)