During the war neither cameras nor film were available. The silver needed to create an image and process the film was an expensive commodity. The photos you see taken during wartime were made by professional photographers, either in a studio or in the case of Hilda’s wedding at the church. The photos of me in Yatton were taken by a friend of my father who was able to use his firm’s camera and had some film available to him.
The pictures taken after the war were by our neighbor Mr. Smith: the man from the “Fish Pond and Baby Chicks” tale. Many incarnations eventually changed his air raid shelter into a darkroom so he could develop and print his photographs. He took the images of me by the fish pond and with my Auntie Rose.
Also, after the war my father bought a Brownie camera and allowed me to take pictures with it. My interest in photography started. I still have some of those negatives.
I feel sorry for this Veale and Co. Photographer – if this was the best picture he made of me and still I was not smiling. The little blue knit dress had a very soft angora trim! |
Me at four years old in a garden in Yatton. The church behind me had not rung its bells for 4 years, since the war had started. I remember the wind was blowing and it felt good. |
Mr. Smith had converted his garage into a studio with lights and backdrop. He took forever to take an image! I tried to be patient because I loved my new green pinafore dress that was hand smocked. Whenever I wore it I felt like the storybook character Heidi. |
My Dad’s Brownie camera in service. The chair had been in the sun and was very hot. I sat down and then got up in a hurry, ran and got my own chair. You see my look of triumph, as once again I had done things my way. |
My doll house, lovingly built by my Dad, as told in the “Christmas at Home” tale. This picture was taken with my Dad’s Brownie camera. |
My friend Jennifer Marks on the left and me. We are very daring in our new dungarees. I remember we wore dresses underneath not just blouses. Somehow that made it proper. These were the dungarees I wore to go picking blackberries. |
Those two buck teeth were later corrected by a Czechoslovakian dentist who had escaped to England during the war. I was the only kid in school wearing braces and that was no fun. |
Taken by our next door neighbor Mr. Smith. He had a fancy new camera and was looking for anyone willing to be a subject. I got him to promise me an ice cream. |
My Dad before the war. Everyone said he looked like the film star David Niven. |
My Mum before the war. This was her engagement picture. She said she did not like the photographer, but I think she looks happy for a change. |
Cousin Hilda’s wedding. I was cross: I had fallen into a hole in the church floor, torn my dress, the photographer was taking too long and kept ducking behind a black sheet, and I was hungry! Can you believe this kid became a wedding photographer? |
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Mr. Smith took this with his new fancy camera. I did not mind how long it took to capture this image because, as always, Auntie Rose made it fun. |
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