39 little faces circa 1880

[Treetotal]

Just having a look around...Mmmm....now where shall I sit?... ...I didn't clean it too much as it is very old and that adds to the charm.
Carol

[Ebch]

Thats's great Carol - thank you    I looked at each face enlarged and couldn't find you    I love the expressions on their faces - not one smile!  All just seem to be saying 'I'm bored, how much longer do we have to stand here with our arms folded". (Especially extreme left first row) Thanks 

[Treetotal]

I was on the back row but someone pushed me off the bench 
Carol

[chinakay]

So this photo is more like 1872ish (I'm hopeless at guessing childrens' ages...never having been one myself y'know )

And I'd guess the photographer is using old cardstock from the previous decade with a red line on it...and the little girl on the right end of the first row, and possibly the girl in the middle, are wearing early-mid 1860s style dress. Of course the dresses would have been worn by all the older sisters in the family, but I'd think one would want to be in one's very best dress for a class photo...so perhaps these girls would have come from a family that wasn't well off. Just some thoughts

Carol is having a fine time with this one, isn't she

Cheers,
China

[Ebch]

Thanks China - I would imagine some of the children were from poorer backgrounds.  It was a Catholic school with a high Irish immigrant population who had only been here a few years.  As soon as the snow goes down I'm going to local history dept - the school would have been held in the basement of the first Catholic church built in the town. Want to see if they have a photo of the building, a small affair that was used for about 50 years before the main church was built.
(Wonder if Carol has done the ironing? )

[chinakay]

Carol can do some for me when she's done...she'll be good at it by then

Have you checked Google Images for a photo of the church?

Cheers,
China

[Ebch]

Don't think Google was around  It was gone by 1900. The new church was built about half mile away.  T  Checked out new church's website but nothing on there.  Its not in any of my local history books here but maybe there could be a drawing or photo at the library. 

[chinakay]

What's the name of it?

[Ebch]

Will pm it - v close to home