Thinks happen

Saturday's Child - Uncomfortable

Saturday's Child - The Classics. Children of the past in the brightly lit studio of the mysterious photographer and his curious equipment.

Dressed in their Sunday Best clothes, they try to understand the smiling photographer and the stern-jawed parent, standing behind the camera, filling the room with their instructions. Look this way, no, THIS way! Hold still. Put your foot there, no THERE! Hold STILL! Close your mouth. Don't blink your eyes. Hold Still!

For a few Saturdays, follow LOST GALLERY into the studio of the 19th century photographer with some expressive youngsters who just can't help being a kid.

...but Ma... this shirt feels ... iky

Labels: Saturday's Child, studio portrait, Studio Saturday's Child

Saturday's Child - In The Studio

For today, lets have a look at Saturday's Child in a different setting. Instead of finding them in their element, outside at play, let's look at a few caught on an unfamiliar stage, the photo studio.

Here they are, trying, as best they can, to "hold still" and pose the awkward way the grown-ups want.

Here they are, caught bubbling with curiosity about their surroundings, or trembling in fear of that strange photographer and that disturbing box with the big glass eye.

Can I keep it?

Want to know more about the photographers?
Here are some in depth examinations of those industrious 19th century entrepreneurs: LOST GALLERY, The Known Photographer

Labels: Saturday's Child, studio portrait, Studio Saturday's Child

Saturday's Child - The Smile

Saturday's Child - A Smile

The Profile(more than you really wanted to know)is here.

Lost GalleryThe rescue mission for battered and abused orphan photographs.

Still the most popular page on this blog.
The Subway Collection

Labels: Saturday's Child, studio portrait

Found Photograph: John Forden's Children.

On the reverse:

Found in a bin in Bethany, Oklahoma.

Here is something I found with a Google. From the “History of the Early Settlers of Sangamon County, Illinois” Page 300.

“FORDEN, JOHN, born Jan. 12, 1798, near Elkton, Md. His parents moved to Bourbon County, Ky., when he was quite young. He was married April 22, 1824, in Clarke County, to Emeline Sidener, who was born Nov. 10, 1808, in that county. They made their home in Bourbon county until four children were born, and moved to Sangamon County, Ill., arriving in the spring of 1831, and settled five miles east of Springfield. Of their children—

JAMES W., born March 27, 1825, in Bourbon County, Ky., died in Sangamon county Aug. 23, 1851.

SARAH A., born Jan. 9, 1827, in Kentucky, married in Sangamon county to William S. Currey. She died September, 1854.

GEORGE W., born Jan. n, 1829, in Bourbon County, Ky., married in Sangamon county Feb. 15, 1855, to Permelia J. Ruckcr. They have six living children, MARY E., CHARLES T., GEORGE E. JOHN W., LAURA and JAMES R., reside with their parents three-quarters of a mile northeast of Sangamon station.

JOHN M., born Jan. 2S, 1831, in Bourbon county, Ky., married in Sangamon county Feb. 13, 1855, to Eliza Wright. They have one living child, ALICE. Mr. Forden is a merchant, and resides in Springfield.

Mrs. Emeline Forden died June 29, 1834, and John Forden died Dec. 1, 1849, both in Sangamon County.”

Things that match:
The name of the head of the family
Number of Children
Birthdates of children match the order and apparent ages in the photograph assuming the baby is a boy. Boy, James; Girl, Sarah; Boy, George; Boy, John.

Things that don’t match:
The fine quality and condition indicates that the photo is not old enough to be a photograph of the children described above. Estimating the ages of the pictured children, the photograph would have to have been around 1835. The photo seems to be post 1900, a difference of at least 65 years. Of course these are all estimated dates but the photograph seems too good to have been taken as early as 1835.