Best guess on approximate date of this photo?

[rdharma]

[Hoyt]

1. August 2, 1928. Seriously, mid 20s to early 30s.

[rdharma]

3. I'm thinking slightly earlier.

But I liked the August 2, 1928 answer! Decisive!

[Hoyt]

4. Do you have any idea where/what it is?

The women in your photo are quite pretty. The men all look like James Cagney.

[rdharma]

26. Do you see the two women in the first seated row at the center of the picture?

The one on the right with her arm around her friend is my relative.

[Arkansas Granny]

2. My guess is 1910 - 1920.

I'm thinking of some old pics when my Grammy was a young bride.NJ

[rdharma]

5. That would be my best guess.

WW I hair and clothes.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. And the women still have their hair up

not yet wearing the shorter bob
plus, would there be so many young men in a photo take during 1914-1918?
I am thinking 1919.1920.

[Sanity Claws]

27. I agree with you

I don't think it is as early as 1910 because the women's skirts are too short for that early. It could be early 1920's, like 1921 or 1922, because the women appear to be wearing a uniform. Uniforms are not exactly au courant. They usually lag at least a few years, especially in a time of big transition, as 1915-1922 were for women's clothing.

[kdmorris]

11. I was thinking 1910 or so, too n/t

[DURHAM D]

6. Four different types of men's collars is interesting.

Also, what is that behind the guy on bottom of pic on our right side?

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Above the guy's head?

Looks like the neck scarf of the women seated above him.
Several other women are wearing the same type of neck thingy in the photo.

[DURHAM D]

9. Off his right elbow.

At first I thought it was the skirt of the woman behind him but don't think so.

[rdharma]

10. Wow! I didn't notice that! A stamp......

In a circle there's indented stamp "RICE OBERLIN, -O.-"

Damn, I didn't even notice that!

[No Vested Interest]

12. There is a Rice Hall at Oberlin College in Ohio.

This looks like some type of club or college group. They're all fairly close in age.

There are old yearbooks shown on a number of sites.
Perhaps you'll locate something from Oberlin College which will identify the photo.

[No Vested Interest]

13. Definitely Oberlin College

I scanned a 1916 Oberlin College yearbook online. -
The same setting with the columns as shown at the top of photo is shown in several of those in the yearbook, though I didn't see the exact same photo.
Further sleuthing necessary.

[rdharma]

16. Wow! You've got some amazing sleuthing skills!

Oberlin College rings a bell.

I searched that photo to see someone I recognized and the young lady on the right (seating with her arm around another young lady in the center of the photo) looks like a relative of mine.

[No Vested Interest]

24. Thanks! You can do it, too!

It's known as googling.
There's not much you can't find out with a few words googled.

[rdharma]

14. I thought it looked like a school photo too

But the young looking kid behind the front left guy threw me off. He looks way too young. Maybe not.

Thanks.

[No Vested Interest]

15. The younger boy does look young, and there's a woman in the middle in a print blouse/dress

that looks a little older.
I'm sure the answers are out there, with a little searching.
Care to tell us how you came by this photo?

[DURHAM D]

17. My guess is the older woman is a House Mother.

Perhaps the young boy is related to her but usually the Mothers did not have dependant children around.

[No Vested Interest]

18. If a house mother, only for the young ladies.

There sure as heck were no coed houses in that period -even at Oberlin.
I'm thinking it might have been some type of musical or religious organization, or the like.
Not completely academic.

But what do I know?
Someone will figure it out, and let us know - I hope.

[DURHAM D]

20. It appears that Rice Hall was the Conservatory.

Perhaps it is a choir.

[No Vested Interest]

22. Good info. I knew someone would follow through.

Perhaps the older woman is the accompanist.
The younger boy may have sung a role appropriate for his voice range in a particular piece.

[rdharma]

19. Long story.... but I'll tell you what I know....

This photo came from my grandmother's brother's collection. He lived in western PA (Hadley).

I have somehow inherited the position as family historian. Which I find as both a great honor and a pain in the ass.

OK.... here I am..... ready to learn.

[DURHAM D]

21. Are you a member of ancestry.com?

I just logged on and it looks like they may be having a free trial period right now if you are not.

I try not to go there unless I have a couple of weeks to kill as it is so addictive.

If you want to PM me your great uncle's name and approximate date of birth I will look and see if there are any published records/pics.

[No Vested Interest]

23. I'm a long-time member of Ancestry.com, as I suppose are many regulars in this group.

I check several things almost daily on ancestry.com -
the new records added, several message boards, and other members activity.

I've also contributed a good deal of info over the years, on the premise that others with the same heritage will reciprocate, which is often the case.

[rdharma]

25. Have you noticed how the older lady appears in a rather central position in the photo?

I think you folks are on to something.

[CBHagman]

28. I was rather surprised by the width of men's ties...

I looked around for a timeline on styles for men's ties, and the search was inconclusive, but I do think this is likely circa 1910-1914.