St Hilaire Cyclist is first past the Post!

And, of course, in those days when you won the local cycle race, you were whipped off to the photographers studio to have your portrait taken. Here, Henri Petit of St Hilaire who won the race by 15 minutes poses with his bike. I note his bicycle only had one brake.

A Buzzing in my Ears!

Once when I was a child, I saw wasps flying in and out of a small hole in the ground in a wood. Like an idiot, I picked a stone and dropped it on the hole. Quick as a flash, several wasps flew to my my bare leg and stung me. I cried a lot because it hurt so much. For years afterwards, well into adulthood, I would tend to run around in panic and wave my arms about if a wasp came near me. This tended to antagonise them and I would be singled out for attention. Onlookers would think I had gone insane. I don't blame them for thinking that. Then one day, a friend showed me how to pick up a wasp that had settled on my scone as I ate it in the garden. I tended to relax more in future although the sight and sound of a swarm strikes fear in my heart. Imagine my feelings when I put a glass plate negative into my scanner and it produced this image. Spare a thought for the brave photographer whose camera would have been mounted on a tripod and, after inserting a glass plate, pulled the black cloth over his head and took the cap of the lenses to record this shot. I don't think I could have done it. What creatures frighten you?

There is a religious feel to this image. It  reminds me of the crux ordinaria or latin cross

A Mystery of the Grande Guerre

The day before yesterday, the postman staggered up the steps to the house to deliver two very large parcels. Smothered with 'fragile' stickers, they contained dozens of glass plate negatives that show life in, I believe, the Loiret, France between 1910 and 1920. There are some staggering images of townsfolk in costume for some sort of festival, a collection of fascinating full length portraits of young girls in their first Communion dresses - more about these in later posts.

There are also a large number of full-length portraits of soldiers of the Grande Guerre (Great War) dated 1915. I share three of these here:

What I noticed from the individual portraits was that uniforms were very ill-fitting. While I am an expert in British military uniform, I have little knowledge of French uniforms. The first image is causing me some angst. Are these soldiers or young men posing as soldiers? Most of them look quite young, especially the Sergeant  behind the priest. Indeed, the priest looks very young, too. Could this be a post war shot of youths wearing their father's uniforms for some sort of re-enactment? The bearded man, front left, is remarkable in having such young, smooth facial skin. Let me know what you think, please?

Here are two soldiers playing cards with a group of women. If the women weren't quite so mature, I would imagine it to have be taken to be the subject of a souvenir postcard. Any ideas?

This image is sadder. Dated 1920, it shows a veteran who makes wooden souvenirs from what I take to be a nearby battlefield. It reads Souvenir de ma campagne du bois de valamoy 1915 - 1916, but when I put the details in Google there was nothing that matched. Note the names and inscriptions carved in the wood of the souvenirs.

On the Beach

Pipe in mouth, rod in hand. What could be better for the Edwardian Angler? I am impressed by his outfit, including his boots. I can see he is fishing as the line is visible and taut. Unless, of course, his man servant is pulling on the fishing line, just out of shot? Not many people about, I notice. Where did he get that hat?

Posing for a Treat!

Even in 1905, it could be hard being a pet. This Jack Russell terrier had to perform for its owners, sitting up and begging on a large wooden barrell. What an indignity this is, it is probably thinking to itself. But being good-natured, it accepts its lot. So if he was, say, five years old and alive today, he would be 110 years old today. But with each dog year being worth seven of a human's, he would be 770!

What can You see in this Photograph?

As the weather gets better, I am looking forward to the chance of getting out and about with my camera again. Poking my lens into the nooks and crannies of other worlds and, possibly, other dimensions. I have seen a strange sign a few miles from here and will be looking to capture it and publish it here for your enjoyment . . .

In the meantime, here is a print I made yesterday evening from a glass plate negative. I see something different here each time I look at it. I was originally drawn to it through a view from a distance when I thought the child on the right had angel wings. However, what I thought was wings looks to be the sort of apparel that a choirboy might wear? Then I was taken by the setting. A wire fence that ends abruptly with what looks like the remains of a tree painted white. And what precisely are the young man and the girl looking at? The boy is doing something that attracts their attention. Perhaps it is a church outing or a summer picnic? To the right of the boy is some sort of frame wrapped in rope and topped by a cushion. Perhaps it is a TB sanatorium and the object is some sort of bed designed to be placed outside so patients can enjoy the fresh air?

I am reminded of mother and my aunt who, in 1923, dreamt up the idea of convincing the authorities that they had TB by coughing a lot so they could avoid going to school. They didn't have Tuberculosis but, as a result of their subterfuge, they ended up in a sanatorium with TB patients. It was six months before it was realised the two ten-year-olds were in good health. They were so lucky not to have contracted it.

So back to the photograph. I am not sure why, but sometimes I feel there is something sinister about what is happening, but most of the time, it looks fine. What do you think it going on here? Click on the image for a closer look.

A Lady and her Sheep

Now, following swiftly on from my last post about the Edwardian lady who introduced her cat to her favourite sheep. Well, she also had a go at introducing Britons to a form of pastime that would one day prove very popular. Unfortunately, she chose sheep-trekking. If she had chosen ponies, it might have proved to have been a very lucrative business.  It would be nice to find out who she was. In her day, when women were more reserved, she must have been thought rather eccentric! I bet she was rather fun to be with.

A Woman, a Sheep and a Cat!

I think this mystery lady is probably a real life Doctor Dolittle. Here she is engaged in a three-way conversation with a very fine sheep and an inquisitive cat. Of her day, I think she was probably known by the locals as a bit of an eccentric, to say the least! Wonderful! Click twice on the image for a closer look. For more on sheep, click HERE

Why the Pose?

Recently, I acquired a selection of glass plate negatives. This is one of them. I think it was taken around 1905 and depicts a groom with one of his charges. What I cannot understand is why this white horse was posed in this way? Is it normal? For that matter, what sort of horse is it? It seems quite small. Are there any equestrian-minded people out there who would be prepared to offer an opinion? Click twice on the image for a really close-up look.