I always enjoy when I find a photo of a tea party, especially a children's version. I'll leave it to you decide which party you'd have chosen to attend.
This first image was found at an antique store with no information on the back. It is featured in my book Tattered and Lost: Vernacular Photographs.
Click on image to see it larger.
This image is from Betty Schnabel's mother's photo album. Sadly there's no information given about any of the photos in the album so we have to create our own stories and hope Betty would approve.
Click on image to see it larger.
The inspiration for this post is the Sepia Saturday prompt this week. It was tempting to do wicker. I love showing the power of wicker. I felt a bit of mud and tea was more appropriate.
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Two terrific photos on the theme. The children offer a nice contrast in ages, the infant with cherubic innocence and the older sister capturing the first traces of maturity with her look of disbelief or even disapproval.
ReplyDeleteThe second photo must be a tea at the captain's table on board some ship. The mirror on the bureau has caught the photographer looking down into the camera viewfinder. A woman's head?
It is fun having the fourth wall broken. So unusual to see all involved in a shot. I too think it female.
DeleteThe 2nd one looks like the chairs would be more comfy and there would be actual tea. Unless I was a two year old.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, my eight-year-old self would want the mud pies, but my old lady self says give me cushions!
DeleteTea parties were a lot of fun when I was little. I wonder whether many little girls still play with miniature tea sets.
ReplyDeleteI think tea parties are still quite popular. I know there was some restaurant that had special tea times for mothers and daughters.
DeleteI rather like that teapot in the second photo!
ReplyDeleteWonder if it was sterling.
DeleteDid Ms Schnabel's family have a nautical background? It was a not uncommon practice, in the nineteenth century, for American ship captains to sail with their family. The second photo looks more like the captain's cabin, rather than the captain's table on a passenger ship.
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't know. I believe her father was from the midwest and her mother from Northern California. It's just a guess. I don't see anything nautical other than the usual boating and a few photos aboard a ship, such as this one. I agree, more the like quarters.
DeleteMud pie tea parties were the best kind!
ReplyDeleteEspecially when friends came, even if they were only dolls and teddybears.
DeleteThe second party is definitely aboard a boat or ship but in close quarters, but the 'tea' pot looks more to me like a coffee pot? I like the one woman's hat with a scarf securing it. Obviously at sea, one needed to keep one's hair protected from the wind as much as possible. Had it not been for the captain's uniform, I might have thought the group had stopped off from a drive in the county for a spot of something to drink.
ReplyDeleteA Tea Party. Children learning by imitation. Just lovely.
ReplyDeleteTea parties were always so special.
DeleteThird try. The letters to copy for identifying me are unreadable. I get them wrong every time so far.
ReplyDeleteBoth got through.
DeleteMy little grandsons love playing with the plastic tea set that's in my toy cupboard. And making mud pies. And 'cooking' pies in their cubby.
ReplyDeleteAnd as I recall the pies got more elaborate as we got older. The decorations on top became more and more elaborate. And yes, the baking was so important!
DeleteA great pair of pics...my favorite is to go back to childhood; but wait, as a potter I get to make mud pies all the time!
ReplyDeleteYou lucky soul! Playing with clay all the time. I'm envious.
DeleteI went for tea parties too - always loads of fun whether pretend or real
ReplyDeleteThe first image is reminscent of my own. Little girls do still play with miniature teasets as do little boys - ask any grandma!
ReplyDelete