I don't believe there's a definition of old fashioned. It's essentially any iris that doesn't look modern. Modern can mean different things with different types of iris and you really just need to know them well to recognize what's old. Some historic specialists can tell you the decade an iris came from at a glance.

Historic iris refers to any iris that was introduced 30 or more years ago. There are things that are officially historic, but still look comparable to the modern varieties (to me). But in most cases, if someone calls an iris historic, you can expect it to have more narrow petals, less substance, and more common coloring.

Okay....so help me to look at these? They are easily "less substantial" the white larger and taller and maybe the yellow is even a tall miniature (although not as tall as the white but the bloom is smaller).

Probably shared by neighbors of friends or relatives of neighbors, etc. over many years. I doubt if the cultivar name (did I say that right) could ever be determined, but I'd like to know "what" I'm looking at.

Thanks so much.

Both of those look like historic irises to me. Maybe one of the historic iris growers will chime in with more info.

If you go to the Gallery section and scroll through the posts entitled "Brighton Park" you will see many historic irises, and perhaps you will find a match!

I love that white one. It is so delicate.

Renee

I believe your white with yellow hafts is a TB named 'Jake', Sass'43.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.worldiris.com/public_html/Frame_pages/QFix.html

You have GOT to be kidding me.

Story goes something like this:

When my guy's mother's brother (JAKE) died, a friend/neighbor (in the same area this iris came from) gave her a piece of an iris the friend called 'Jake' !!!! She thought the friend might be making it up to make her feel good.

Now this iris comes from the home where my guy's mother lived for a while. They were taken out of the old landscaping when they weren't blooming so she had no chance to really compare. Her mother could have had the same one, maybe even for the same reason.

SO you could be spot on!

I can hardly wait to tell her.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

And based on the cool comparison tool, the yellow is most probably 'Berkeley Gold' (Salbach 1942).

Especially since I've taken so many photos of it, I've really got a chance to study it for it's characteristics. In this case, the brown flecked base of the standards is key. I think.

Here is a link that might be useful: Historic Iris Comparison Tool

Yea Regattagirl. What a 'Jake' story! Warms my heart.

Yeah.... But I made her cry. Gah.

She had sent me an email to say the photo on flickr looks just like her 'Jake' iris. This was before I could even tell her what you had told me.

I owe you.

The yellow looks like Coronation to me. It is extremely common across the US. Sometimes it has brown freckles around the beard, sometimes not. The color depth varies with the temps the buds form under.

{{gwi:1030773}}

Here is a shot of Jake fully open (yours look to be still opening):

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Both are good tough old irises and not surprising to find them being passed around.

Old fashioned usually refers to narrow petals, lack of ruffles, smaller blooms. As opposed to moderns which have lots of ruffles, big blooms, wide petals. in general of course - there are always exceptions.

How nice to learn you iris is a special namesake. Its original namesake, Jake Sass, was a hybridizer who, along with his brother Hans, contributed wonderfully to the iris world.

I agree, these look like Jake & Coronation to me too.

Congratulations at finding names. It is not always so easy.