I'd been looking for old public-domain tea images on the Library of Congress website when I came across one I'd not seen before, and oh, this one inspires so many questions! It looks rather "styled," doesn't it? The caption info says the photo is of Jane White with sons Lewis and Maynard White "seated at dining table with teacups." Those two little boys do not at all look like willing tea party participants, and since Mrs. White is looking down, it's hard to know what emotions she brought to the table. The little boy at left looks like he'd rather have a root canal (or its equivalent, back in the day), and the little boy at right looks curious, like he's wondering what the photographer is up to.
The original photo on the Library of Congress website is not the sharpest, but when I enlarged it on my computer, the sugar bowl and creamer look like some of those pretty old German pieces I've seen, and I'm picturing it with pale-pink roses. Again, the delicacy is so at odds with the two country-looking little boys, isn't it?
According to the LOC, the photo is part of "The White Family Collection in Memory of Clarence H. White, Jane Felix White, and Maynard Pressley White, Jr." When I looked up the names, I found that the boys' father, Clarence White, a native of Ohio, "was an inventive artist, an influential leader of the American Pictorialist movement, a pioneer in the development of photographic magazine illustration and advertising, and founder of the first school of fine art photography in the United States." So can we assume that Clarence took this photo himself? If so, I'm guessing that the little boy at left had probably already had his photo taken by Dad about a hundred times that day and wanted to go out and play. Your thoughts?
The original is here if you'd like to enlarge this photo and check it out yourself!
Sweet! Yes daddy's practice picture still enjoyed today!
ReplyDeleteThat's a funny one, especially the boy on the left. His expression! I can just about see him thinking, "Let me out of here!" Pretty china, though. :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's an entertaining photo! You do find some good ones on that Library of Congress website. You could be right about the little boy on the left being tired of having his photo taken by his dad. Or he could just be tired and in need of a nap! It's fun to look at the items on the table. I would like to see what the design is on the silver napkin ring. And do you suppose that the stack of little square dishes are butter pats? Antique or vintage china butter pats are a interesting thing to collect. I have only a couple of them, but am on the lookout for more now.
ReplyDeleteIf you enlarge the picture, the mother's mouth is VERY firm, as though she's done with it all herself. I'll bet that son of hers had gotten on her nerves and maybe hubby, too.
ReplyDeleteThe son on the left is too funny. I’m sure many a boy has made this same face.
ReplyDeleteYou could write a whole story just from that picture. I have a feeling that mom is at her wits end with getting two little guys to act like maybe they would want to be there. Ha! You are right their patience is about done and they want to go play.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn, well said!
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