Tiny
tots perched on high was a trend in child photography at the turn of
the 19th and 20th century - as shown in this week's Sepia Saturday
charming prompt image (see end of this post). My ancestors echoed this
fashion to stand young children on chairs for formal studio photographs.
This photograph was amongst the large collection of my Great Aunt Jennie Danson of Poulton-le-Fylde, near Blackpool, Lancashire.
Written on the back was: "From Mary, Charlie & Nannie Hardisty, Villa Farm, Bispham, Blackpool. The photograph was taken at W .J. Gregson & Co, W, P. Beck, proprietor, Photographers, 92 Talbot Road, Blackpool.
I
did some quick detective work and found the family in the 1911 census,
with Mary, 26 years old, husband Charles Alfred 24 and Nannie Ada 1
year old. She does not look too happy here in her best knitted coat
and bonnet, plus little boots. c. 1911/12.
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Joseph founded around 1890 the family business of carters and coal merchants. It steadily became prosperous and in
1905 moved to near North Station, Blackpool, Lancashire in a house with a large
yard, hay loft, tack room. and stabling for around 7 horses.
In the 1901 census Joseph Prince Oldham was described as a self-employed carter and coal merchant, with his 20 year old son
John driver of a coal lorry. Also in the household
were Joseph's wife Mary Alice, 3 young daughters, Sarah Alice, Edith and
Beatrice, and also mother-in-law Mary Ann Knowles.
An accident at the coal sidings in the
railway station resulted in Joseph being blinded and he died in 1921,
with his will, signed with his "mark".
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Not perched on a chair but seated on what looks like a chest of drawers is Joseph's granddaughter Elsie
Oldham, born in 1906, and my mother's second cousin. Following her
father's death, Elsie took over at the helm of the family business with her husband, and saw it through the difficult wartime
years, combining it with her own hairdressing concern under the name of "Elise".
An older Elsie Oldham, with her young cousin Joseph Butler, standing behind her - presumably in clean boots!
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Above is my cousin's father Arthur Smith, (1908-1979) and not looking too happy, as he perches on the chair, clad in a dress, as was the custom for very young boys, though I had thought the practice had died out by the early 20th century.
The tartan reflected the family's pride in their Scottish links with an ancestral trail leading back to Unst, the most northerly island in the Shetlands.
Looking much happier here is Arthur, with the caption on the reverse of the photograph reading " Arthur in his first pair of trousers."
On
leaving school, Arthur worked for the post office, firstly as a
delivery boy and then as a linesman. During
the war, he served as a signalman, was evacuated from Dunkirk in
1940 and later served in Italy and Africa. After the way, he returned
to work at the G.P.O.
Arthur married Elsie Oldham (above) in 1932, with their children inheriting their father's fair looks.
And Finally - myself, but this time seated.
Not a
studio portrait, but here I am on my own little chair - a bit big for
me as my feet don't touch the ground. The chair was passed down,
with fresh covers, to my daughter and granddaughter - but I never
thought at the time to take a photograph of them in it. What a pity!
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Sepia Saturday gives an opportunity for genealogy bloggers
to share their family history through photographs 
Click HERE To find more tales from Sepia Saturday bloggers
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What a great collection of photos of your ancestors in or upon chairs! I'm so glad you described how they were related to each other!!
ReplyDeleteLittle Joseph Prince Oldham looks quite suave as he leans on the chair in his photo. I have a photo of my father in 1914 wearing a little sailor dress. His younger brother is in the photo. They were about 3 and 1 years.
ReplyDeleteWhat cute little children, all dressed up to have their pictures taken.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting to see the variety of fashions in the children's portraits. And in chair designs too! I'm intrigued by Arthur's tartan dress that looks very like the dress worn by the boy in my story this weekend. There's something about the fullness of the skirt and maybe the leggings that aren't like a girl's garment. I can't think of any practical value other than a dress allowed for more leg growth before needing alterations. But that was true of the short trousers too.
ReplyDeleteGreat collection. I wasn't aware of the 'tiny tots perched on high' as a trend!
ReplyDeleteA nice collection of photos. Joseph Prince Oldham did look quite confident. My favorite, though is Arthur in his first trousers. And the knitted coat in the first photo caught my eye. The little innocents accompanied by your comments on their lives - who knew what was to come?
ReplyDelete