Musings on family history, regional history, book reviews, and miscellaneous observations and comments by a genealogist and librarian living near the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Great Great Grandma Nancy
She didn't exactly "Smile for the Camera," but here is my Great Great Grandmother Nancy Jane Cockrell Hester donning her "granny hat." She is my maternal grandmother's father's mother.
Lori, This does look like an odd posture. Could I suggest that it might be a postmortem photograph? The eyes look a bit askance and the hands are certainly posed. What do you think?
I would be extremely surprised if this family would even think of taking a picture at a funeral, especially of a corpse. I need to look at the original again. It's in Mississippi so it'll be awhile before I can see it. It's just hard to say.
I think she is "framing" a locket hanging around her neck, using her hands to highlight the locket. Perhaps the locket had a picture of a loved one, or some such. You can definitely see the locket and the fingers are pointing toward the locket.
Anything to draw attention away from the hat! I've not seen one quite like it, except on my sister's dolls a long time ago. Nice picture, Lori, thank you. Any idea when it was taken?
8 comments:
And what a hat it is! :)
What I do find odd is that she's got her hands just below her neck, which I find unusual... Any idea why?
Not a clue!
Lori, This does look like an odd posture. Could I suggest that it might be a postmortem photograph? The eyes look a bit askance and the hands are certainly posed. What do you think?
I would be extremely surprised if this family would even think of taking a picture at a funeral, especially of a corpse. I need to look at the original again. It's in Mississippi so it'll be awhile before I can see it. It's just hard to say.
I think she is "framing" a locket hanging around her neck, using her hands to highlight the locket. Perhaps the locket had a picture of a loved one, or some such. You can definitely see the locket and the fingers are pointing toward the locket.
Good eyes. I'll bet you are right, Bob. I've seen a lot of people reach up and touch lockets and necklaces that way.
Anything to draw attention away from the hat! I've not seen one quite like it, except on my sister's dolls a long time ago. Nice picture, Lori, thank you. Any idea when it was taken?
Regards, Brett
Probably between 1890 and 1905
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