Sepia Saturday:Forgotten


One day when I was browsing a local antique store,
I stumbled across this photograph.



Forgotten children.
Siblings, most certainly.
No names on the back,
so I couldn't even begin to track down
the family of origin.

The photography studio was 
in Sprague, Washington Territory.
Sprague is a tiny town
 in Lincoln County, near Spokane.
The town, named after a Civil War general,
 was platted in 1880 and incorporated in 1883. 
Washington became a state in 1889,
So this photo captures children who were born
in a relatively narrow period of time. 

I'd guess the one on the right, the older one,
is two or three. I think it's a little boy 
in a fancy costume, 
but it could be a little girl with not much hair. 
I think the one on the chair  is a little girl. 

Someone's beloved children.

Children adored enough to take
to a photography studio 
so their image could live on.


Who do they belong to?

Why were they lying unclaimed in a photo bin?

I've adopted them and given them a home.




(For other Sepia Saturday posts, click HERE.)

Comments

Martin said…
The face of the child on the seat seems to be old beyond her years.
You might find the picture provenance just by posting here. Love the way they are posed.
Betsy Brock said…
Yes, I think the little one is a girl, too. Such serious faces! I always think it's sad to see old photos in the shops...why didn't the family want to keep them...I always wonder. Nice that you gave this one a new home! ;)
I'm so glad you adopted them!
steven said…
meri - it's their eyes. the look of standing still and waiting for something to happen. mesmerized. steven
Kat Mortensen said…
It's always sad and poignant to come across these lost photos from another era. They certainly do evoke much speculation. I like that fact that you took them in, Meri.

Kat
Nana Jo said…
Little boys were often dressed in white dresses and lace in those days, so it's hard to say what gender those sweetly serious little siblings are. I, too, am drawn to old, forgotten photographs ... especially of children. I always wonder about their lives and history.
Tess Kincaid said…
I hate to see stacks of old photos, forgotten, in a shop. I've given quite a few of them a new home in the manor!
Alan Burnett said…
Lovely post. Only last we I too was browsing through material at an Antiques Centre and found an album of photographs similar to this. I too had the urge to adopt it, and although I didn't, I am still tempted to go back and see if it is still there.
Anonymous said…
Great photograph. Your data regarding the location of Sprague has been most helpful to me. I too have a picture of someone taken in this studio with the same chair! Researching to see how long McInnis was in business. Thanks for your post!!

Lisa

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