Question about and/or Help with a Picture

[Sarushka]

You can tell by the empress's dress. It's unusual for her to wear dark clothes in a formal session, but in 1899 she wore black because the court was in mourning for Grand Duke Georgiy. (Alexandra also wore black for some photos in Anastasia's baby session in 1901 due to Queen Victoria's death.) For Tatiana's baby session Alexandra wore white. Other photos of the empress in the same dress and jewelry show Tatiana as a toddler, so the baby you're asking about must be Maria:

[GrandDuchessAndrea]

Thank you for a nice big version of that darling photo! 
As for whether or not the baby is Tatiana or Maria, the dress Alix is wearing points to it being Marie, and yet the frame said "1898". So...it must be Tatiana? Puzzling...

[larri*]

You can tell by the empress's dress. It's unusual for her to wear dark clothes in a formal session, but in 1899 she wore black because the court was in mourning for Grand Duke Georgiy. (Alexandra also wore black for some photos in Anastasia's baby session in 1901 due to Queen Victoria's death.) For Tatiana's baby session Alexandra wore white. Other photos of the empress in the same dress and jewelry show Tatiana as a toddler, so the baby you're asking about must be Maria:

Ok. Sarushka, thank you very much for your help! =)

[Sarushka]

As for whether or not the baby is Tatiana or Maria, the dress Alix is wearing points to it being Marie, and yet the frame said "1898". So...it must be Tatiana? Puzzling...

It could be that the frame is wrong. Remember, Tatiana would have been a year old in 1898, not an infant.

[TimM]

That would seem to support the idea that it is Tatiana.

[Condecontessa]

I also think its Maria since there is another pic of baby Maria with the Empress and Olga. The frame must be inscribed that it was given by the Imperial couple and GD Xenia or the Hermitage simply inserted the questioned pic. I know it's kind of odd that no formal pic of baby Tatiana with her family was taken. There are pics of the Empress holding baby Tatiana but it's outdoors and kind of "amateurish".

[GrandDuchessAndrea]

Oh no, there are formal pictures of baby Tatiana. They're not taken when she was as little as the other girls, she seems to be at least six months, but I'd still consider that baby, wouldn't you?   
http://otma.blog.cz/galerie/formalni-fotografie/1897-8#44803621
On the other hand, I've never seen the outdoor "amateurish" one that you referenced. Unless I'm mistaken and I just don't recall. Could you please post it anyways? 

[Sarushka]

Oh no, there are formal pictures of baby Tatiana. They're not taken when she was as little as the other girls, she seems to be at least six months, but I'd still consider that baby, wouldn't you?   

There are younger ones yet:



Possibly the last one is the photo Condecontessa referred to.

[Condecontessa]

The pictures you posted are the amateurish outdoor pics I was refering about, thanks for posting it Sarushka. To me, it seems like the pics were taken outside either at Tsarskoe or Peterhof. The other 3 GD's have pics that were taken around the time of their christening in a more formal setting.

[1130 WNEW]

I miss the beautiful dresses of the Imperial era. Unisex clothes by definition can't be as feminine.

[Arfly]

Does anyone know whether the girl in the first picture is Olga or Tatiana?
I noticed that this picture was already discussed on this forum. However, the discussion was over whether or not the girl in the first picture was Tatiana or Maria.
For my part, I have always thought it was Olga, so I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts/evidence and/or other pictures that would help to determine which girl this is?

I have accompanied the photo in question with a second of Tatiana from around the same time. These are the only pictures I have been able to find of the girls in these outfits at this certain age. One might be tempted to say that because the girl in the second picture is Tatiana that, therefore, the girl in the first one must be Tatiana as well. However, if Tatiana is wearing that outfit, than Olga must be wearing the same outfit as well, so the first girl could still be Olga.

Notice how Tatiana's outfit (in the 2nd picture) is rather loose fitting and cuts below her knees. The first girl's outfit, however, looks short and ill-fitting. My theory is that Olga was possibly in the middle of her growth spurt at this time and her clothes were not fitting right. On the other hand, one might argue that the 1st dress just looks too short, but it really isn't and has simply gotten mussed up in the time between the 2nd pic and the 1st.

Another point I would like to make is that Tatiana's hair in the 2nd pic is sticking out and messy, while the girl's hair in the first picture is smooth. Of course, it could be argued that the first picture preceded the second and that Tatiana's hair got messed up in between; or that the pictures were taken on two different days.

It just seems so uncharacteristic of Tatiana to smile that brightly. It is more of something Olga would do.

Thoughts anyone?

[Arfly]

Sorry the pics didn't upload right the first time.




That's better...

[Ally Kumari]

I never doubted that the girl in question was Tatiana. She is laughing unabashedly in the photo, something that is rare, but that is her face alright. Furthermore the man behind her is Nicholas Sablin, who was assigned to look after her on the Standart cruises (and funny enough the man holding her hand is also Nicholas Sablin, the namesake of the first), The differenc tnagles of both photos make it difficult to judge how fitting the dress is, but to my eyes it looks the same. The second girl IS Tatiana beyond any doubt, too.

[Arfly]

Who was assigned to look after Olga on the Standart cruises?

[Ally Kumari]

According to Helen Rappaport´s Romanov Sisters it was this other Nikolai Sablin.