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| Uncle Harry (Harry Moore) 1903 - 1982 : Circa 1928 |
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| Unknown Relative or Friend : H B Jennings Studio, Bradford |
This themeless week on Sepia Saturday gives me the opportunity to feature a couple of recent scans from my collection of old family photographs (it is my on-going attempt to digitise my life onto a 1TB hard drive before I take my leave of life). The first is a studio photograph of Uncle Harry which dates from the years he was on the stage. One can almost see the look of a young matinee idol, someone who might have made it at Pinewood, Elstree or one of the other British versions of Hollywood. Alas, the movies passed him by and he finished up playing the piano in Working Men's Clubs.
The second photograph is a very old Cabinet Card which has suffered the ravages of time. I have bought a number of such cards at antique shops over the last few years, but this predates them and therefore it must be someone within the family. It comes from a Bradford studio and therefore is likely to be from the Burnett strand of the family (the Burnetts are from Bradford, the Beanlands from Keighley, the Berrys from Halifax an the Ushers are from Liverpool - what a cosmopolitan lot we are!)
There is something penciled on the back of the photograph, but I can't make out what it is. Looks like F B Whitwell but that name means nothing to me. Perhaps it was a secret love of my great-grandfather. If so, now it is an open secret which has been shared with the world.
See what others are doing this Open Sepia Saturday by going to the Sepia Saturday Blog and following the links.
What a contrast of age, style, quality. I enlarged the older photo -- is that woman smiling? Are those lips or teeth? If so, she defied the style of photography of the day, that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteShe probaby didn’t have any teeth and this is her attempt at hiding the fact.
DeleteUncle Harry and his wavy hair probably turned quite a few female heads.
ReplyDeleteUncle Harry certainly had great potential for film. It looks like a graduation photo.
ReplyDeleteThe woman's photo makes it appear she is being swallowed into the upholstery of an overstuffed chair.
I don't think she's smiling. An animal fur it tossed over her chair. I do like the little scarf shawl. If she was your great grandfather's secret love, I'm glad they kept it going past her svelt stage and right on into plump old age.
ReplyDeleteUncle Harry looks like he had botox!!
ReplyDeleteAn open minded post!
ReplyDeleteI always wonder what was going on in the minds of folks posing in those old photographs? They had to sit (or stand) there so still and unsmiling for so long. Were they planning that night's dinner menu? Remembering to take out the trash later? Noting that Jr. had a spot on his new britches that would need to be hidden when it was his turn to pose? Wondering if there was enough gas in the car to get home safely?
ReplyDeleteOh my uncle Harry, very dreamy. I delightful touch of family Alan, you do come from fine roots.
ReplyDeleteUncle Harry looks like a suave gentleman- probably had all the girls swooning in his time.
ReplyDeleteI just love the various expressions on people's faces in old photos from the days when to have photo taken was something important and special.
ReplyDeleteThe old lady definitely has her 'going out' bonnet on - prettily trimmed. You say cosmopolitan - we say Heinz Varieties!
ReplyDeleteBet the ladies were "Just Wild about Harry".
ReplyDeleteUncle Harry has an ethereal look about him, like a character from a Jane Austen novel perhaps.
ReplyDeleteOh, look at the boyish charm of harry!!
ReplyDelete