Exact dates of the photos of the Imperial Family

[Sarushka]

That photo of the six of the IF seated on a greenhouse roof is from Tobolsk. I would say late fall, 1917, judging by their clothes. It's not from 1918; the weather hadn't improved that much before they left in late April, and in any case I doubt the new commandant was as lenient as the earlier one (Pankratov?) I believe I read somewhere that Nicholas helped to build the wooden structure that they sat on and/or the stairlike structure that led up to it (see TOM's link).

Pankratov was in power at least until 6/19 February 1918, possibly longer. (That was the date the second regiment demanded his resignation, but I'm not sure when Pankratov actually left.) Other photos of NOTMAA on the greenhouse roof also show snow on the ground, but I suppose that's not much help in Siberia....

I'll check Nicholas's diary for further clues.

Interestingly, as Lisa noted , it's hard to tell who is who. Two of the GDs seem identifiable but the other two could be either of the two others.

Left to right: Olga, NII, Aleksei, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia.


This closeup, likely from the same day, makes it easier to see who's who:

Seated, left to right: Olga, Anastasia, NII, Aleksei, Tatiana. Maria stands behind.

[Sarushka]

Anastasia signed her photo of 1914 Formal season to be taken in May of 1914, while IF were at Livadia:

I'm still inclined to believe the 1914 formals were taken in Tsarskoe Selo. The striped chairs in Olga and Maria's solo portraits clearly match the furniture in Alexandra's formal reception room:



Also, signed photos were dated according to when they were autographed, not when they were taken. There was probably a significant delay between shooting the photos and having them developed, chosen, and printed.

I'll also browse Nicholas's May 1914 entries for mention of formal photograph sessions.

[Forum Admin]

For example, this photo:


We know it was taken in 1913, probably at Livadia. But which month? I meant--when IF visited Livadia in 1913?

I'm quite sure I ran across a mention of this photo-session in Olga's 1913 diary, but I'm having trouble finding it now. If I recall correctly, the pictures were taken at Tsarskoe Selo, possibly in late spring or early summer. I'll keep hunting for the exact date...

Sarah is right, all of those formal portraits were done at one time at the Alexander Palace by Boissonas & Eggler, early in the year for the tercentenary celebrations.  They were not done later in the year in the Crimea. They couldn't have been, since Boissonas & Eggler did not travel to do the photographs. They had Karl Hahn for the travelling photos.

[Sarushka]

I've checked May of 1914 -- no mention by Nicholas of any photo sessions. I'll check January-April as time allows. (Though it's possible Nicholas might not have recorded the date of this photo session, since his own portrait was apparently not taken.)


Edited to add: A thank you to Laura Mabee is in order -- I woudn't be able to search for this information if she hadn't loaned me her copy of Nicholas's diary!

[Imperial_Grounds]

Gotta keep an eye on this thread, and check my pictures.

[Rodney_G.]

That photo of the six of the IF seated on a greenhouse roof is from Tobolsk. I would say late fall, 1917, judging by their clothes. It's not from 1918; the weather hadn't improved that much before they left in late April, and in any case I doubt the new commandant was as lenient as the earlier one (Pankratov?) I believe I read somewhere that Nicholas helped to build the wooden structure that they sat on and/or the stairlike structure that led up to it (see TOM's link).

Pankratov was in power at least until 6/19 February 1918, possibly longer. (That was the date the second regiment demanded his resignation, but I'm not sure when Pankratov actually left.) Other photos of NOTMAA on the greenhouse roof also show snow on the ground, but I suppose that's not much help in Siberia....

I'll check Nicholas's diary for further clues.

Interestingly, as Lisa noted , it's hard to tell who is who. Two of the GDs seem identifiable but the other two could be either of the two others.

Left to right: Olga, NII, Aleksei, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia.


This closeup, likely from the same day, makes it easier to see who's who:

Seated, left to right: Olga, Anastasia, NII, Aleksei, Tatiana. Maria stands behind.

Sarushka, I must say your identification of the IF there is correct, although ID'ing them right is much easier from a Photobucket version, and enlarged at that. These photos as first appearing in some of the earlier Romanov books were of dubious clarity.And although again I think the ID is correct, it's remarkable how similar Maria and Anastasia appear.

[nena]

Also, signed photos were dated according to when they were autographed, not when they were taken. And it's possible that same furnitures were not only at AP.

How we know that?  I believe one of Tsarevich's and Tsar's one was indeed taken in August of 1916.
And were IF mentioned only Formal Photos seasons, or informal?

Let's continue:
July 4th, 1916, Mogilev:

October 4th, 1916:

[Sarushka]

For example, this photo:


We know it was taken in 1913, probably at Livadia. But which month? I meant--when IF visited Livadia in 1913?

I'm quite sure I ran across a mention of this photo-session in Olga's 1913 diary, but I'm having trouble finding it now. If I recall correctly, the pictures were taken at Tsarskoe Selo, possibly in late spring or early summer. I'll keep hunting for the exact date...

Sarah is right, all of those formal portraits were done at one time at the Alexander Palace by Boissonas & Eggler, early in the year for the tercentenary celebrations.  They were not done later in the year in the Crimea. They couldn't have been, since Boissonas & Eggler did not travel to do the photographs. They had Karl Hahn for the travelling photos.

I'm still hunting through diaries for clues on the 1913 portraits. I'm presuming they must have been done after Tatiana's recovery from typhoid, since she's wearing her wig in the photos. That means they were likely taken sometime after March, because Tatiana was still recuperating into the beginning of April. By mid-May the IF was traveling for the tercentenary celebrations, and their annual cruise on the Standart began on 9 June. So some time between April and the middle of May seems the most likely window. I haven't been able to find anything on the photos in Olga's diary (she only mentions a couple informal photos taken by Olga A and Anya), so I'll have to rely on Nicholas.

[Sarushka]

I've browsed Nicholas's diary from the end of Tatiana's illness to the beginning of their cruise on the Standart. The only mention I found of any kind of photographs is on 7 April:

"At 9 o'clock Prokudin-Gorskii showed us new beautiful color photographic snapshots."

However, my Russian is far from fluent. I've just discovered while translating that sentence that although I've been on the lookout for words like foto, fotograf, fotoapparat, and fotografirovat', I've almost certainly missed the verbs snimat'/snimat'sya/snyat', which mean "to be photographed/have one's picture taken." Crap. I'm going to have to read those two months all over again. I'll recheck May of 1914 for the other formal session as well.

[nena]

Thanks you so much for these informations, Sarushka.  Snimak or kartinka means photo, as far I know.
Mars's field, April 19th, 1916:


May 1916, Stavka:

[nena]

May 1916, Empress' lazaret,:

July 17, 1903:

[charley]

Does anyone have this full photo?  I remember seeing it years ago and I believe they are seated in front of a building with other people.  Also a exact date and location would be great. Thanks!

[mishaxenia]

you know the date and the place of the ceremony? thanks

[blessOTMA]

This print from the 1920's says it was in July of 1918 ! lol!  Obviously wrong... and while it's not the exact photo in question, this  was  taken a few moments before or after it . ( The Tsar, Alexis and Tatiana haven't moved  )and plainly, it's  in Tobolsk. I believe the guess of fall ,1917 a good one. As has been noted, the benches aren't there yet

[voyageroffreedom]

Mishaxenia, this picture was taken in Moscow 1903, for a religious ceremony I think it was for Olga first communion.