|
next time I see one oof those Victorian saucy pictures on Antiques Roadshow, I'll think of Annie!
|
|
I was going to suggest she was a photographer's assistant, rather than a photographer as such, ie fetching and carrying for the photographer, as Kate suggested.
She may have had all sorts of jobs to do - arrange props in the studio, take the bookings/payments, mix the chemicals, perhaps even learn to develop prints, and learn to hand tint the photographs which required colour, etc.
At a guess, I'd say this was far more likely to have been the role for a 17 yr old girl.
And yes, maybe a spot of modelling too!
K
|
|
I suppose it's possible she was a colourist for a photographer - I don't know how common it was for coloured prints to be used then but it's possible that they were experimenting with them back them.
I think it could be possible that a photographer might employ someone to tint the photographs and perhaps that was seen as more of a female job than the actual photography and using the camera side of things. It might not be a very high-up position - a bit like being a studio assistant, perhaps? Maybe she did the fetching and carrying of props for the portraits and sometimes had to help out with colouring.
Perhaps also, for demonstration pictures or samples, promotional things, she was called on to model, too?
Depends also who filled the family's census form out - maybe Annie did it and made her job out to be more prestigious than it was, maybe a younger sibling filled it out (especially if the parents couldn't write or were busy with other things) and only understood that Annie worked for a photographer, so thought she must be one too?
|
|
Wow, thanks for the replies guys - yes, my imagination does tend to run away with me, haha! :-)
I did consider the possibility that Edward is the son of one of the other daughters, yes, quite possible. I guess if I'm really that curious I could order Edward's birth cert...
Yes, I gathered that photographic painter meant that she added the colours, which would make sense as that was fairly common at the turn of the century. I'm not sure how likely it is that she could have been a photographer - after all, it was only invested about 35 years or so earlier, and obviously the family weren't rich or able to really choose their careers as such. Anyway, all speculation really!
Thanks so much guys, especially to those giving me the census info - I'll check out that 1881 and 1891 Annie Irving servant, could be her. I looked for her living in Newcastle, but no luck. I suppose there could have been an older brother, but there's not one in the census that I can see...
Thanks all! :-)
|
|
There could be an older brother born before they left Scotland.
For reference, here they are in 1851 Scotland
Name: William Irving
Age: 25
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1826
Relationship: Head
Spouse's name: Read
Gender: Male
Where born: Langholm, Dumfries
Parish Number: 839
Civil Parish: Langholm
Town: Langholm
County: Dumfriesshire
Address: Kirkwynd
Occupation: Mason
ED: 4
Page: 10 (click to see others on page)
Household schedule number: 29
Line: 1
Roll: CSSCT1851_209
Household Members:
Name Age
William Irving 25
Read Irving 24
Isabella Irving 2
Ann Sewell 70
|
|
There is an Annie Irving in the 1881 and 1891 census who could be your Annie who is a domestic servant.
Perhaps she couldn't make a living at photography and went on to get a "proper" job as a domestic before getting a job colouring photographs by 1901 because that was nearer to what she wanted to do.
You've got me making up stories for her now, LOL.
Kath. x
|
|
I should chuck the genealogy in altogether and concentrate on writing romantic fiction - you have a flair for it!!!!!
Photographic painter could well be somone who added colour to photographic prints before colour photography came into being
|
|
In the 1861 census the family have an older daughter called Isabella. Could Edward be her son?
I don't see why a 17 year old girl couldn't be a photographer in those days. Photography was the up and coming thing and I'm sure it was the kind of thing some young girls would be interested in.
Kath. x
|
|
Hi all,
I posted this message when the boards went all funny so I don't think it showed up.
Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the following, a ggg aunt of my partner, who I came across recently when researching a branch of his tree.
Basically, I found this girl, Annie Irving, living at age 17 in Carlisle with her family (parents and siblings). Her occupation is listed as 'photographer'. At first I was impressed that a 17 year old female would be a photographer in 1871. But then I started to wonder if it was inferring something else.
In 1881 and 1891, Annie has disappeared all together - can't find her. I thought maybe she died. A mysterious child, Edward C Irving, appears in 1881, age 5, and listed with Annie's family as 'grandson'. There is no sign of a parent, and all the other siblings living at home at the time are presumably his uncles and aunts - all listed as unmarried.
Edward is there in 1891, still shown as 'grandson'. Then, in 1901, Annie is back, listed as the daughter of the now widowed mother, and Edward (definitely the same one) is down as 'nephew'! Annie's occupation is listed as 'photograph painter'. Another odd element is that Edward is shown as being born in Newcastle, when the whole family is from Carlisle, no other links to Newcastle at all.
So, my crazy, romantic hypothesis is that Annie was probably posing for the photographs, rather than taking them, fell in with the wrong crowd, got pregnant, ran off to Newcastle to have the baby, sent him back to be cared for by her parents but kept away in order not to draw attention to her illegitimate child. After 20 years, she came back to live with her mother and her son, but in order to continue to hide that he was illegitimate, he was listed as her cousin, her mother's nephew.
Anyone got any thoughts on this? Is it possible for a 17 year old girl to be a photographer in 1871?
I'd love to hear people's thoughts. thanks in advance.
Kat
|
