TOKELOSHE

I inherited this unnamed photograph from my father, who in turn inherited it from my grandmother, Pieteriza Cilliers van Ellewee. You can read more about the photo here.
I requested additional details and a date for the picture from ChatGPT.
I made use of the free edition.

It was a really fast response.

🗓️ Dating the Photo Based on your grandmother’s birth in 1901, and the visual clues in the photo, the school photo most likely dates from around 1908 to 1912, possibly as early as 1905. Here’s why: 🔍 Visual & Historical Clues
📚 Setting & Chalkboard: The writing on the back wall says “A III School Mesklip” (or possibly “A IIIe klas” — which would be “Standard III”, or grade 5 in the old Cape Colony school system). The rough plaster wall and bare ground are typical of rural Cape Province school buildings in the early 1900s. “Mesklip” likely refers to Matzikama region, possibly near Vanrhynsdorp, which fits beautifully with your family’s history.
👗 Clothing Styles: The girls’ dresses, with high necklines, long sleeves, and bows, are typical of 1900–1912. Boys wear a mix of Norfolk jackets, sailor collars, and short pants — all popular before WWI. Hair is neatly parted and long on the girls, short and slicked on the boys — another early Edwardian trend.
🪑 Photographic Style & Format: The sepia tone and the cabinet card-style mount (6½” × 4″) were standard in late 1800s to early 1900s. The mounting style suggests this was a studio photographer’s field visit or a photo professionally developed offsite. 🇿🇦 Cape Colony Education Context In 1905, the Cape Education Department was expanding formal schooling in rural areas like Vanrhynsdorp. By 1907–1910, even smaller farm schools were photographing their pupils, especially around standard III–V.
✅ Final Estimation:
📅 Circa 1908–1912, likely taken in the Mesklip (or Masklip) area near Vanrhynsdorp, at a rural school where your grandmother may have been a student or just too young to attend. I've added more images along with really useful descriptions. I think it's a very helpful tool.