The Spencer Children: Mark (1892-1975)


Figure 1.-- This poertrait was taken in January 1899. Mark was about 7 years old . He is posed lying on the floor of his home on Amberson Avenue in Pittsburgh, reading a book. The picture was taken by his father. Mark wears a dark sailor suit with matching dickey, knee pants and long black stockings with hightop shoes. Image courtesy of the Hillman Library archives, University of Pittsburgh.

Mark was born in 1892, the Spencer's first boy. We do not have any early photographs of him, but assume that he wore white dresses as a younger boy like his yunger brother Charles did. The white dresses seem identical to those the girls wore. After being breached, Mark and Charles both wore mostly sailor suits. Presumably their mother liked the sailor suit fashion--at least for the boys. The girls did not wear sailor dresses. Mark seens a serious little boy, probably rather studious. This poertrait was taken in January 1899. Mark was about 7 years old . He is posed lying on the floor of his home on Amberson Avenue in Pittsburgh, reading a book. The picture was taken by his father. Mark wears a dark sailor suit with matching dickey, knee pants and long black stockings with hightop shoes. The stockings look heavy. As it is January, Mark is presumably wearing long underwear under his stockings making them look so bulky. It looks as though his father, Mr. Charles Spencer, whose hobby was photography, has set up some sort of temporary backdrop behind his son so that the figure will stand out better. Unfortunately this blocks off a view of the inside of the home which is usually an interesting aspect of these old photographs. Notice the white shirt with white cuffs that Mark wears underneath his middy blouse. Note his breast pocket. Ar those pencils he has in his pocket.






HBC





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Created: February 4, 2004
Last updated: February 4, 2004