Historic Hood River
M is for…
2-24-2012
Notes
Here’s another Anne Lang portrait of children. Her negative is so sharp that I can read much of the text of the children’s alphabet book. “M is for Monkey, N is for Nylghau, O is for Otter, P is for Pig…” Wait a minute– nylghau? Kids must have been pretty smart back then. The nylghau is a kind of antelope from India.
Arlen Sheldrake
WOW, that N word still has me stumped. Anyone have a clue as to why an author would put such a word in a child reader???? Only thought I can come up with is the author must have had an excellent picture…….Having two of the three children stay that still for the picture must have been a chore. Putting that booklet in the picture is absolutely wonderful composition!!!!
l.e.
By the looks of the the pieces of paper on the floor, perhaps the girls were not impressed with the Nylghau.
I have never heard of the animal.
I think Anne Lang has become one of my favorites.
Arthur
l.e., I think those are rose petals. The girl on the right is holding a rose, I believe. Maybe practice to be flower girl at a wedding?
Ralph
Is it possible the child in the dark clothes is a boy?
Charlott
That is a good question about the child in the dark clothes. Little boys wore long hair for a long time…sometimes. Especially where it is cut short on the sides. Wonder if some mother could not bear to cut her little boys locks.
Love those little button shoes. Can you imagine trying to hold a smaller child and get those things buttoned upf?
Can anyone figure out what that big long thing is on top of that cupboard, cabinet thing?
It appears that the picture on the easle in the corner is a dog.
I would love to own that chair…..
Arthur
Charlott, the object on top of the cabinet is a drapery which hung in the doorway to the left. I’ve cropped this image closely so you can see the faces at the resolution of the photoblog, but the full image includes more of the doorway and part of a woman standing guard over the children. She has a frightfully narrow waistline, but since her head is missing I cropped her out.
Now that you mention the dog in the painting I can see it. You have a good eye.
Norma
I have a picture of my Dad is a dress similar to the child in the dak clothes. My Dad was younger than these children.
Lora
It was not uncommon practice to take post mortem pictures during this era. I have a sneaky suspicion that the child in the middle is actually not alive. Opinions?
Lynne Holmes
The girl is alive but I wondered at first too. The face is blurred due to her movement. Her limbs wouldn’t hold their position w/out a little ATP to keep them there.