I have a photographic silver print made in 1899 that has been hanging in my Grandmas house ever since. The paper backing is yellow with age but the silver image is perfectly fine. I have submitted a scan of this print for this weeks' pf gallery. I scanned it in colour then converted to monochrome which eliminated the yellowing paper. The image seems to be made of small dots of silver grain and nothing else.
Sarah at 21 in 1899
The print of the image of Sarah at 21, my Grandma (died 1976 at 98) is not the original, I would have thought, there was a glass plate negative original. I think the family had these until about 1950. I might have broken it (I was 8).
I do remember 1950, I still carried a gas mask in a canvas carry case on a strap. And I was really nasty because a cracked a window with my fist because I had been locked out. It was never repaired and a wooden board covers the space.
And the house now is deserted until it is sold as the remaining family member (my aunt, now 89) is in an old peoples home. The picture is in a draw here and the prints made from the scan are on display.
My family have been into photography all that time, my Uncle gave me bits to do contact prints in a printing out frame in the window using salt solution to do the fixing. I had a box brownie. In 1952. I was not allowed hypo or developer then. That came later.
He was into photography in 1920, and astronomy, with grandpa who was into science. "They WILL split the Atom". There was a telescope too. But we were poor.
Mum did not have shoes the whole time. And her photograph was on the Wall, the first twelve months, you know, the ring around the proud mother holding her baby. Yes its all been done....
And Grandpas picture was one side of the over mantle and Grandmas on the other side with the two fine ladies (Porcelain) next to them. They only got broken in the last ten years.
Then the house at 91 was cleared out. Only bed linen and the old beds remain.
Even the lace stands for the china dressing table set has been thrown away. Made
by the baby in the photograph for her Mum, Sarah. Life is very cruel. Where is
everybody now? Blowing in the wind!
Its a sad world.
But a young Sarah is growing into her business at number 86.
And soon a new young family will move into the old house. So our cycle continues.
The Family home since 1899.
My Uncle Arthur lived at the house all his life except when he saw military service in the 1939-1945 war. He was invalided out with shell shock. As a therapy he took up painting but never really spoke again, even to his Sister, Winnie, who is very neurotic, and also lived in the house, going into year-long sulks occasionally. Arthur left some paintings and I put one here:
Arthur was a shy man and he had a girl friend but his brother Fred took her from him while he was away. Fred had stayed behind to be in the fire service.
And Fred was unfaithful, once, and we have another cousin.
And Arthur spent his off-duty time in the Pub and had unknown continental holidays and a boat on the Thames.
Winnie, who lost her husband in a raid over Norway (only missing - he might come back - one day) she waits for the day she is reunited in death, in a nursing home.
And Dolly who had four beautiful bouncing babies and her husband came back from Japanese prison-camp after the war from Singapore.
One of Arthur's surviving paintings.
And Elsie whose Husband could not cope with a disabled child (me) and found another charmer only to have another one who, like me, survived.
Where will I put the photo?
Chris
02/01/2010