This week's Sepia Saturday prompt shows a gentleman out and about in his flat cap.
Below are a couple of photographs of my husband's great grandmother Mary Ann Olds nee Patt with family members, on the pier at Weston-Super-Mare, enjoying a day out. Mary Ann's husband Albert died in 1939 and Mary Ann in 1943, so the pictures may have been taken in the early 1940s. In the first photograph with Mary Ann are her daughter-in-law Doris Olds and three of Mary Ann's seven sons, two of whom are wearing flat caps. The photograph may have been taken by Frank Olds, husband of Doris.
I think the man on the left of both photographs could be Mary Ann's youngest son, Arthur Percy Reginald Olds, 1907-2008. In the street photograph below with his mother Mary Ann, his wife Elsie and daughter Audrey, he is again looking jaunty in his flat cap. He was christened Percy Arthur, but was always known as Little Arthur, having been named after his older brother Arthur William, who died aged 14, 2 years before Arthur was born. Little Arthur outlived both His wife and daughter, and I hope he was still as stylish when he was a centenarian.
To cap it off, here is a little chap in a cap that I just finished knitting. He is about to jetset off to Smithers Canada to meet my brand new great nephew James, taking with him a gift of beanie and booties. At just over a week old, baby James is probably a little young for a flat cap, but you're never too young or too old for a beanie!
Rockabye Sweet Baby James, by James Taylor and Carole King, Live at The Troubadour
For more blogs inspired by this week's SS prompt photograph, just click here.
Postscript, 7.8.2016:
My sister found a cloth cap or cheesecutter for her little Canadian grandson James, but he doesn't look too happy about wearing it!
14 comments:
My husband has taken to wearing flat caps - especially since we returned from our tour of Scotland last fall where I bought him a tweed, and a Black Watch plaid flat cap.
My husband, great nephew of Little Arthur, likes wearing flat caps too.
Good for you carrying on the tradition of knitting/crocheting baby booties and hats. I rarely see these precious baby gifts anymore.
They do look quite dapper in their flat caps and the one in the last photo has his set at a rakish angle.
A perfect day for an family outing and pictures of everyone to commemorate the occasion! The styles, the smiles, the photograph means a lot now.
Appropriate photos and splendid handicraft. I hope you have a great Canadian summer holiday.
Ha, ha, thanks Mike but no, it's just that little knitted fellow who is now on his way, cargo class in a parcel with the beanie and booties. My sister in NZ is going over to meet her new grandson James very soon however, and I'll get there one fine day, maybe next year.
Caps and hats were in. Hat makers must have made a fortune! The little, knitted chap in blue is very cute.
My dad loved his flat caps that he bought overseas. You're right they do look more stylish in the first photo...perhaps we need to start wearing hats again? Cute cuddly for baby James.
I wonder what I used to call flat caps...because the term doesn't seem to be in my vocabulary. Now it is. And they do look nice. Good for you making clothes for babies!
I love your little knitted chappie- flat cap and all.
Cloth cap perhaps? Wikipedia gives lots of alternative names for them, even claiming they can be called cheesecutters in NZ. I'll have to ask my sister who lives there if she's ever heard of the term.
And adorable doll! And a baby in a beanie is just about perfect.
Apparently flat caps are back in fashion, due to the success of the BBC drama ‘Peaky Blinders’. Celebs and Royals have been snapped sporting fashionable numbers, so your husband is ahead of the game.
Post a Comment