Family Tree Frog

Alan from Sepia Saturday says: Our Sepia Saturday challenge this weekend is a little different. What we are asking you to do is to forget the foreground and look into the background. Take, for example, this pedestrian snap of my Uncle Harry, Auntie Annie and Unknown Man. The centre of attention is the three figures walking down some seaside promenade, but the interest in such a shot is probably limited to those fascinated by the everyday history of my family (a small and select group of people). But if your move your focus to the background there is a wealth of interest. Note the sailor in uniform, suggesting that this might have been a wartime shot. But there are still cast-iron railings on top of the wall and later in the war all such things were taken down and melted to make gun barrels or some such thing. Look at the hats, look at the sensible shoes : there is enough to keep you busy for a whole Sepia Weekend. This has been a great exercise for me in working out which ...

Little Nell says:  This wonderful image flags up all sorts of possibilities if you like to try and match one of its themes. For me, anyone sitting absorbed in the craft of needlework in a domestic setting conjures up a picture of contentment in executing a piece of work which will be used, admired and talked about. There are, of course, other settings where the person, often a child, wielding the needle, is not so content, but I'm sure you don't need me to spell those out for you. For the present let's enjoy this particular autochrome plate from around 1910 and pore over the rich details: the folds of the flag; the woman's lace blouse; the chintzy chair; the sidetable with sewing basket; the bookcase; the chandelier; the picture of three saints. So many choices for you to consider when selecting your own image to feature in this week's Sepia Saturday. Joy Jeffery (nee Wingfield) and Belle Wingfield (nee Forfar) c1944 I am really struggling to fin...

Shirley, Belle and Kit outside DJs Elizabeth Street c. 1930s Like David Jones Elizabeth Street. Here are the twins. And Belle's daughter Shirley.  Sorry Shirley - there's a bit of dust or summat caught on your eye. Kit being my maternal grandmother who I never knew.  Belle being her twin sister. My daughter Isabel Kate being named after both of them. Ah yes, shopping. I have fond memories of my mother and I picking up cousin Joy (Shirley's sister) who seemed to have an endless cycle of DJs bags of stuff that needed to be returned and stuff that needed to be bought.   Who else remembers the ker-clack-hum-ker-clack of the wooden escalators in DJs?   Now that's something that should have been captured on audio archives for posterity. I think I have a DJs creamer from their dining room somewhere in a cupboard - or is that a fantasy?  I do remember my Mother being very keen to purchase one when they decided to close it ...