Here's a photo of my maternal grandmother, taken around 1914 or thereabouts. It was a different age, wasn't it? I like her lace-up boots (no velcro shoes for kids then!) and lacy dress, and the long, artfully-arranged curl adorning her shoulder.
I wonder what she was thinking when this photo was taken, somewhere in the south of England? My grandmother had a relatively short life, dying in her early 40s, and I know her childhood wasn't very happy, as she was mistreated by her father. Her adulthood wasn't particularly happy either; all in all, I think of her life as rather sad. To me, she even looks a little sad in this photo.
According to my mother, her family was middle class but was wealthier before my great-grandfather drank away the family fortune. At least that's how the story went. I wonder what really happened all those years ago?
How sweet she is. When you see her at this age, knowing what life held in store for her, you just want to hug her.
ReplyDeleteI have a photo of my grandfather at about age four or five posing in a Little Lord Fauntleroy-type suit and his hair was almost as long as your grandmother's! They didn't cut little boys' hair in those days until they were old enough to wear long pants, I think. I actually have a lock of his hair from that first haircut.
Precious little girl. Such a sad story. I hope she had some happiness in her life.
ReplyDeleteKids today "act" older than they are. In this picture your grandmother has a posture and look that makes her appear much older than she is in the photo.
ReplyDeleteI agree, she appears rather melancholy. Then again, perhaps we are reading something into the photo when we take another look after we read your post about it. She was a pretty little girl.
Thanks for linking up Natalie, I appreciate it. Come back next weekend with another photo and story for us!
TTPT, the long hair... maybe this is my grandfather!! :) Nope, I can recognize my grandmother's face. I have a lock of her hair too. They were big on hair keepsakes in the old days, weren't they? And I've seen hair "art" for the walls from the olden days too!
ReplyDeleteCallie, there's a long line o' sadness in my family, which I have worked hard to break. My grandmother was a great pianist, and also a talented artist (as was my paternal grandfather.) I figure I got my artistic and musical skills from my mother's family. Anyway,I think she did find some happiness but then her life was cut short. It's a sad thing.
Paula, it's funny how people didn't use to smile much in photos, isn't it? This pictures speaks a thousand words to me!
ReplyDeleteIt does make you think. She certainly had most of her life in front of her at that point.
ReplyDeleteHopefully she was happy. Everyone deserves that.