Family from Medicine Hat, Alberta
What it is:
Photo measuring slightly smaller than 7.35 x 5 inches.
What I know about it:
Photographer is Royal Studio of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. (Alberta is here spelled Alta.)
Comments:
I know there are a number of reasons why larger families were more common back in the day. And I know that a family with six children wasn’t even considered enormous (my grandfather was one of nine children, my grandmother one of twelve). But having grown up with only one other sibling, it boggles my mind to imagine what it would have been like growing up with several more, as with these folks. I hope they were happy together. One thing I like about this photo is the breathing room they’ve been given. I see quite a few family photos where the people are crammed together, but I think there’s an elegance to the way they are spread out here.
Pics of Then 
I like that you mentioned the breathing room in the photo. I’m going to have to look at my old family photos and see how they’re posed. You’re so right, there is such an elegance to this photo. Well said. 🙂
That’s just a generalization I made about poses, but this picture definitely struck me as being more spread out than usual.
That reminds me of my grandma’s family. Six children, also, all dark haired (Italian), and living in the far north (in their case, northern Minnesota iron ore mines). I also like the way the mother’s feet don’t touch the floor, just like my great-grandma (and myself, if I’m being honest …)!
Thanks for your comment! It’s always so interesting how much of ourselves we can see in these old photos.