Sunday, November 23, 2014

Sepia Saturday 255 : Part Crufts Part Silhouette

It's a tricky Sepia Saturday theme image this week. The photograph, which comes from the Estonian National Archives, is entitled "Eveline Maydell making a silhouette, with her models. Indianapolis 1931" I have no silhouettes in my family archives so I had to settle for the dog in the centre of the photograph.

There was something about the look of the dog, that canine stance, part Crufts part shameless show-off, that reminded me of a photograph from one or another cardboard box that constitutes the Burnett Family Archives. Eventually I tracked it down : Harry Moore and an unknown dog - a photograph from the 1940s or 1950s. I have never thought of Harry Moore ("Uncle Harry") being a dog person. Towards the end of his life he would drag Auntie Miriam's old Jack Russell around the streets of Northowram without either enthusiasm or noticeable affection. But this is a younger Harry, a Harry that was still in touch with his glory days when he would tour the country as part of a touring group of entertainers (think of J B Priestley's fine novel "The Good Companions"). 

But those who have already read the story of Harry Moore on these pages will no doubt recall the name of that touring concert party. Yes indeed, "The Silhouettes"


12 comments:

  1. Love the dog, of course. Do touring concert parties like The Silhouettes exist anymore?

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  2. How apt the link with the dog and The Silhouettes touring group. Yes the poster does remind me of Good Companions which I read at school in York.

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  3. Perhaps it was just the Jack Russell he objected to; the one in the photograph is more of a man’s dog. I’m glad you got the silhouette link in too.

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  4. That poor Jack Russell! Love the reference to The Silhouettes - great play on the theme!

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  5. The Silhouettes reminds me of 1930s detective novels. Not sure why but life is like that.

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  6. Nice twist using the name of the concert party touring group - The Silhouettes. As for Uncle Harry and the dog, I'm glad he liked the one he's pictured with.

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  7. Nice twist. I remember hearing The Companions on the bbc.

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  8. A perfect profile to choose as the Silhouettes sound like they a fun group. I like how promotional material from this era always included resumes. And judging by his grip, I think Harry has a bone to pick with that dog.

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  9. Was the dog part of the show? Did it do tricks? Perhaps that would be why Harry enjoyed being with it. Make friends with the fellow actors so you don't get upstaged.

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  10. A dog AND silhouettes, or SILHOUETTES - aren't you clever! A Jack Russell can be yappy and hard to walk since most have their own agenda.

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  11. Being the ignoramus that I am, I had to google Crofts. I have ordered Priestly's Good Companions from the library. My homework is done ;) Thanks for keeping me on my toes and well done on matching the theme in a roundabout sort of way.

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  12. Anonymous11:41 PM

    What an amazing connection to the theme image. Enough to put a smile on the face. - boundforoz

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