Group Portraits

I thought I would share a trio of group portraits with you. I rather like them. I wish I had images like these in my family photograph albums!

Four sisters are persuaded to stand still long enough to capture this delightful portrait.
The girl on the left is determined not to let go of her hoop!

The slimey seaweed hasn't put this family off. Note the rather dated swimsuits.
The poor boy on the left looks fed up with so much female company!

Now these look a happy bunch. I wonder what is in the jug. Cider?

Picking Daisies!

If you watched the film Calendar Girls, you will be familiar with the phrase: "We are going to need considerably bigger buns!" When the Edwardian photographer gave this small girl a basket and asked her to start filling it with daisies, both he and she hadn't appreciated how many there were in this vast field. By the look on her face, she is about to say, "We are going to need a considerably bigger basket!" Poor girl.

Look Away Now!

Now, I am sorry if it offends anyone, but I am not a fan of fox hunting. That said, two newly arrived glass plate negatives offer a glimpse of rural life in the Edwardian age that I thought I should share with you.

The first depicts a group of men who are posing with their terriers, guns and two dead foxes. When I first saw this photograph, I thought the men had dug into a badger sett to get to a family of badgers. In this photo, they must have used the jack russells to back the foxes into a corner of the Earth while digging their way to the foxes hiding place. When the foxes were exposed, the men shot them. Not very nice by today's standards, but their actions were of a time much different to now. It still has the power to shock me, though.

This second photograph shows two men who might be father and son. The elder man is holding a fox cub. Maybe, a vixen was killed and the cub was taken to safety. Who knows? Perhaps the man is a gamekeeper, but the boater he is wearing is the not the sort of headgear you would expect to see. The man in front looks benevolent, but there is a hint of malevolence in the expression of the younger man. What do you think?

Hidden Treasures 2

Well, I have just completed the seemingly endless task of scanning the glass plate negatives. I underestimated the total - around 50. I also found some film negatives as well from which I will also draw for future posts. But, for now, here is a another selection of images.

Taking a Dip
This photo shows a really informal side to Edwardian life. Judging by the series of photographs scanned today, this is the Lady of the House. She has encouraged her dog to leap in the lake, but is still in charge. Note her extended hand which is encouraging the small lapdog in the grass to stay where it is. Mind you, lapdogs don't normally go swimming!

Bid for Freedom
This is surreal. Here, young cadets at a nautical college are learning to sail a dingy in a water tank. I imagine the hull is fixed, but the sails and sheets can be handled as one would at sea. Quite remarkable!

What line of Work are they in?
Not sure what these chaps do, but there are confusing clues around them. A pile of stones in front and horseshoes on the building behind. From what I can remember about horseshoe folklore, you are supposed to hang them with the open end upwards. This is so the shoe can catch the good luck falling to earth. The other way round lets the good luck out!

He knows his Place
Having seen some of family groups, I think the Landowner is on the right and one of the gamekeepers to the left. I wonder if they are just setting out to shoot a bird or two. Note the impressive leather gaiters.