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On the second group photo where Minnie is stood at the back it looks like she may be supporting herself on two walking sticks.
Her arms look very straight and rigid compared to the other ladies.

I see what you mean - she does look a bit "rigid".

However there's no suggestion in the family that she was ever in any way disabled, other than she was quite hard of hearing in later life.

Personally I think she is holding the two chair backs of those sat in front of her.

Stef.

Hello all, I'd no idea Minnie Jane's knees or legs would attract so much attention. 

I can't offer any explanation about any unusual appearance, and wonder if she has just slumped down in the chair to give a better composition with the other girls.

There are pictures of her standing, and her only known disability was that she ended up fairly deaf, (she used a large ear trumpet, apparently).

She worked as a sorting clerk and telegraphist in a variety of Herts & Beds Post Offices, and was eventually awarded a Civil Service medal for long service, (I found details in the London Gazette).

I don't think she was particularly tall - it's Lizzie that looks like she was probably the tallest.  But my grandfather Harry's world war one service record claims 5' 9", but when pictured beside my father (6' 1"), they are very much matched, so I tend not to believe reported heights anyway.

Very interesting that other photo of 4 similarly dressed.

I don't think mine relate to a uniform or a club membership.  Certainly church wise the family were Strict Baptist, so no dressing up, or chorister possibilities there.

Here's another poor image of the family.....

Hi,

Yes, we have also considered it might be the studios.

However the family were relatively, (though not exceptionally) well off, the father having managed to become a coal merchant some years earlier, and an employer of several men by the time of these portraits. A couple of the daughters appear to have been well enough provided for that they never needed to work.

There are several other surviving studio portraits of the family that also seem to say money was not an issue.

If you look at this picture, (same studio), presumably taken two or three years previous, you can see all daughters are fairly lavishly dressed.

Incidentally the young lad, Harry, is my grandfather.  He looks slightly disconnected from the whole process, as he does in other photos too.  This is probably related to the fact that he was completely deaf from a very early age.



Stef.

Some individual studio portaits have come to light of my grandfather's four sisters.

The pictures, probably from about 1895 are from the Aylesbury, Thame & Tring studios of Mr & Mrs S.G. Payne & Son.

The young ladies in question would be roughly 24, 22, 17 & 15.

Each is wearing an elaborate dress, but the mystery is that each seems to be wearing exactly the same, (or same type of) dress. (Although we do wonder if each may be of a different colour ?).

It seems unlikely that they went to the studio and each put on the same dress in turn, but equally it seems odd that girls with an age spread of 9 years each had an identical dress made, (and they look very elaborate dresses).

Has anybody encountered anything like this, please, and if so do you have any explanation for it ?

Minnie Jane (b 1871)



Lizzie (b 1873)



Annie (b 1878)



Lottie (b 1880, and the only one to marry)



Many thanks,

Stef

In fact the posted site contains at least 3 different pictures of aircrew and groundcrew posing on a Lanc in this way.

Obviously it was the kind of picture taken more often than you might have assumed.

I think they are superb - never seen anything like it before!

Stef.