This week's Sepia Saturday theme concerns books. Delving into my family collection, photographs of books and readers of books were non-existent (surprising this, given that all my family were voracious readers and I grew up surrounded by books). Turning to my collection of 'unknowns', I came across this lovely photograph which seemed to fit the bill.
On the reverse: Van Esty & Co., 115 Yorkshire St., Rochdale. I'm particularly intrigued by the fob-watch-come-wrist-watch that she's wearing; I haven't seen one of these before. Edited to add this:
Edwardian Ladies Watch Strap.
More bookish photographs over at
Sepia Saturday - do nip over and have a look!
8 comments:
I'm glad you mentioned that watch because that caught my eye right away. At first I discounted the idea that it was a watch because it seems more TODAY than the photo. It's a very sweet picture -- her pose, the flowers.
Right on time for books as well as the watch.
That wristwatch does stand out as being somewhat unusual for the time. And the book doesn't seem to be the normal leather-bound photographers' prop. That is the wonderful thing about photographs of that era, they can be so full of half-clues and vague suggestions.
The vase is also curious ... almost looks like it shouldn't be able to stand up on its own.
The watch immediately caught my eye too. I have never seen a woman of that era wearing a wristwatch.
Now I am curious about the history of wristwatches.
It is almost like the watch is a pocket watch repurposed for her wrist as it has the "circle" the chain would be attached to and it has that broad lip around it as if a lid could be snapped down upon it ?
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-46601242/stock-photo-antique-pocket-watch-on-vintage-newspaper.html
And clicking on the photo and enlarging it, I see the vase does have a shadow of a third leg.
Very interesting photo - and she wears a huge bow in her hair like my link this week of my grandmother's hair... dated 1910 .. or 12. Can't remember :)
Lovely photo - she looks very young - and I haven't seen a watch like that before. I guess it was "adapted" to become a wristwatch.
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