Happy Holidays

Here’s one from the archives, when holiday making was a serious business

Now that we’re in the middle of the summer holiday period, I thought I’d publish this photograph from the family archives.

The picture was amongst the pile of photographs passed down from my grandfather, Edward Fernley. Although I’m not sure who these people are, I assume we are related. This studio picture was photographed either in Liverpool or the Isle of Man, based on the information on the rear of the photograph.

Judging from the painted background, which is of wooded hillsides and a large house, my guess is that it was taken in the Isle on Man when this group were on holiday. The Isle of Man became a popular holiday destination from the middle of the nineteenth century. But for a working class family it was quite a luxury to travel there.

What I like about this picture are the stern looks of the holiday makers. They certainly took their holidays seriously in those days. In reality the fixed stares of my ancestors are probably the result of the long exposure times cameras required 120 years ago. People had to sit still for a relatively long time, probably a few seconds, to get a clear image. It’s easier to sit with a fixed expression, rather than hold a smile for that long.

I’d love to know who there people were, and what they were thinking. Who knows, maybe I’ll find out more about them as I research my family history.