J. & W. Hicks, 11 West Nile St., 1887 - 1893

The type of design above with flourishing scrolls is usually associated with the late 1870s and early 1880s but here must have persisted to the late 1880s. The miniscule text at the bottom of the back of the card reads ' Printed in Berlin for Samuel Fry and Co., Kingston upon Thames'

This second example showing high Victorian art on the reverse, is numbered 6575, and assuming the numbering was started in 1887, and given typical throughput, probably comes from 1888 or 1889. This is on a card supplied by Marion & Co.

Both cdvs above have gilded edges, but the first one, with the sisters fighting over the basket of flowers, is the earlier, because of the thinner square edged card. The first is probably just before 1890, the second just after.

The cabinet card below also has gilded edges, and seems to be numbered 27,514, with a handwritten name like 'Happle'?. The fashion strongly suggests the early 1890s, and such a number of exposures could well have been reached in 5 or 6 years.

The cdv below shows a more graphical development of the name at the bottom, which again suggests the 1890s.