Richmond archivist Bill Purver gingerly picks up the old photograph with white cotton gloves. He then rubs his pinky finger alongside one of the childrens' faces ever so gently.

"It's a mystery, there are many variables in play here and when you don't have all the information, it can be difficult to make an accurate assumption," said Purver.

Then, he shakes his head and frowns as he closely examines the photograph of four children, who appear to be siblings, sitting for a formal family portrait.

"I'm still a little baffled because the children are wearing timeless styles which could date back anywhere from the late 1800s or as late as the forties," said Purver.

On closer examination, he again shakes his head in bewilderment.

"It doesn't appear as if a professional photographer took the image because of the quality of the paper, yet from the clothes and jewelry, the children seem to be from a wealthy family."

With his finger, Purver points to the warped edges, suggesting moisture damage, and to the differences in the sides of the photo, which he said came from someone cutting the image to fit a frame.

"Cecile" (she wishes to remain anonymous for personal reasons), found the faded photograph in a frame she purchased in one of the second-hand stores in Steveston.

It sat in a drawer, she said, for more than two years until one day, curiosity got the better of her.

"For some reason, I couldn't throw it out and then I started wondering about who these children could be," Cecile said. "Unfortunately, I don't remember which shop I bought the frame from."

That is regrettable, Purver said.

"The frame can often help us date the picture, provided it was the original frame," he said. "There is no way to guarantee where this picture comes from, it could be anywhere around the world, but there are assumptions we can make from the style of clothing and hairdos."

Purver is quick to add that he is far from an expert in dating photographs and he only appraises photographs for historical value rather than for monetary reasons.

"I date photographs for historical significance," he said. "There has to be a context of something or evidence of something that gives them archival value."

In other words, he explains, the photo should provide some idea of location, or at least be one of a selection of family photographs, which can help pinpoint a time frame and location.

"Then, a photograph becomes one of historical value to show what things looked like in a particular era," Purver said. "As far as this photo is concerned, we have no history, no context in which to work with."

Purver went on to say that without the original frame and without the photographer's signature on the back (something that was a common practice for studio portraits in the early 1900s) or other records, he can only give an educated guess to the age of the photograph.

"My best guess from the markings, the moisture damage and the older girl's hair style that perhaps it could be circa 1910," he said. "However, when looking at the youngest girl's button shoes, they were popular from the 1910s to the 1940s."

But, Purver said, if he is dating purely from the photograph's paper, his summation would then be somewhere between 1920s to 1930s.

"Today, most photographs are on a resin base print but this paper is a fiber base print, which was known and used in the twenties and thirties."

In the end, said Purver, he can only speculate a time frame but one thing he knows for sure "they are handsome children."

If you are serious about identifying, dating or preserving your old photographs, call Purver at 604-247-8305 or email him at bpurver@richmond.ca and he can provide names of local professional conservators (they can conduct a technical examination of the photograph, which can reveal clues about how, when, and where it was made). However, conservators don't come cheap, said Purver.

"Generally, a consultation can cost you $75 an hour and to clean or treat a photo can run you between $300 or $400," he added.

The Richmond Archives houses more than 125,000 photographs and residents can download from a digital library of roughly 10,000 images of Richmond dating back to 1862. Simply log onto its website at www.richmond.ca/cityhall/archives/about/about.htm.

"The oldest historical images come from the 1850s," said Pulver. "However, the first settlers to Sea Island didn't arrive until 1862."

If you know whom this photograph belongs to or who these children are, e-mail Michelle Hopkins at mhopkins@richmond-news.com or call 604-249-3348.