Figure 1.--Here we have three of the Fitzroy-Carrington children: Harolds, Phyllis, and Elizabeth. I am not sure who the younger boy is, either a cousin or child of a family friend. The picture was taken in the country near their Mamaroneck country home, probably in the eraly Spring perhaps about 1908. Image courtesy of the MD collection. |
The Fitzroy-Carringtons had four children. The three oldest children were There were four childen: Harold, Phyllis, Elizabeth and a younger brother who unfortunately is unidentified in any of the nine albums. I believe that Harold was born about 1897 or 1898 and Phyllis about 1900. The birth dates are only estimates, but are probably accurate to a year or so. Elizabeth may have been born about 1903. The younger brother was probably born about 1906. The image here shows the two children about 1907. Several photographs show the children altogether. They were normally dressed similarly, but not identically. One interesting aspect of these photographs is the degree to which they show a warm caring relationship among the children. Note how Harold and Phyllis are holdng on to each other in the early photographs. And the older children are often holding on to their younger siblings.
We firsrt see Harold at about 1904 wearing a white sailor tunic. He continues to wear tunics for only a year or so. Althouhgh he wears sailor caps and hats a year longer. A wonderful portrait showws him wearing a broad brimmed sailor hat about 1907. Harlod next bgins to wear knickers sailor suits, both with long stockings and socks. For several years most of the images we have of him show him wearing knicker sailor suits. Mostly theybare white suits, but he had colored ones as well. He then starts to wear more mature looking knicker suits. Here is is wearing checked knickers, but I am nit sure what else he is wearing. Notice there is not tie for neckwear, iyb looks more like a sailor suit dickey, but a muddy blouse would not go with checked knickers. Both boys wear double breasted coats. Notice the difference in the boys' hats. Harold wears a kind of flat cap while the other boy has more of a traditional British schoolboy cap.
We first see Phyllis in 1904 wearing a dress with a large white pinafore. Here she weas a sun hat and white dress. Notice the ringlet curls, carefully placed for the camera in an otherwise rather casual looking photograph (figure 1). Both girls also wear double breasted coats, but the girls have coats with collars rather than lapels. They are also lighter colors. Phyllis is wearing dark, but not black long stockings like the boys. Hers were paroably brown.
Elizabeth here wears a coat like her older sister, but with a baby bonnet. She also wears white rather than dark long stockings.
One interesting aspect of these photographs is the degree to which they show a warm caring relationship among the children. Note how Harold and Phyllis are holdng on to each other in the early photographs. And the older children are often holding on to their younger siblings. Here Phyllis and Elizabeth are holding omn to each other.(figure 1) and compare this to other families on HBC where there the children are phitographed with out even touching each other. A example of a family where the children do not touch and comfort each other is a German family photographed almost the same time. There are many other examples on HBC where family realtionships are suggested by the body langauage in the portraits. In some cases this may be hapinstance, but we believe that if often suggests actual relationships among the children and parents.
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