Figure 1.--Here we see Eveleen Tennant Myers with her two oldest children, Leopold and Sylvia. This looks to have been an early portrait, perhaps 1888 or 89. They are pictured at the garden door of their drawing rioom at Leckhampton House. Leopold who became a writer in his own right wears a standard white sailor suit, a popular fashion at the time. Source: Image no. mw118639s. National Portrait Gallery.

Eveleen Tennant Myers (Eveleen Myers, née Tennant) was born in London (1856). Her parents were Charles Tennant, M.P. and Gertrude Barbara Rich Collier. Her mother had grown up in France. She was close to Flaubert, Gambetta and other important French intellectuals. Mrs Tennant's London salon attracted leading members of London society, especially writers and artists. ndividuals incuded Primeminiter William Gladstone, Sir John Ruskin, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, George F. Watts, and Edward Burne-Jones. Eveleen who was the youngest of gthree daughters thus grew up in a highly literate and artistioc environmrnt. And both Eveleen and her sister Dorothy played active roles in their mother's artistic social life. Both were beautiful girls. They were painted by Frederick Watts and John Everett Millais. The portraits were shown at the Royal Academy a matter o considerable social prestige. Dorothy has an interesting life of her own, marring the explorer H.M. Stanley. Eveleen married the writer Frederick William Henry Myers (1843-1901) in 1880. The Myers moved to Leckhampton House, Cambridge which had been designed especially for them by the noted architect William C. Marshall. The house today is part of Corpus Christi College. Frederick and Eveleen had three children, Leopold Hamilton (1881-1944); Silvia Constance (1883-1957), and Harold (1886-1952). Eveleen Myers apparently lacking artistic skills took up photography (1888). Modern snap shot photography had not yet been developed. Photography was still a rather complicated matter and mostly a male persuit. Her initial interest was taking portraits of the children. Biographers believe that the idea was inplanted when as ahild she was photoigraphed by Julia Margaret Cameron while on a vacation to the Isle of Wight. The immages she left are interesting and show how children from well-to-do soiciety were dressed. , but difficult to understand. Both Harld and Leopold wore dresses whebn they were little which was not uncommon at the time. What we do not understand is that Harlld was breeched ad had his hair cut short before his older brother. Family conventiuions concerning hair and clothing varied widely. This was, however, not common. And we botice that Leopold did not always wear skirted garments. We also notice images of him wearing trousers.

Parents

Eveleen had two notable parents. Her mother seems to have had a particularly important role in her life.

Father

Her father was Charles Tennant, M.P. The Tennant family was a respected Scottish/English family. Eveleen's father Charles, was the the 1st Baronet. Charles married twice. There were several children. The children were Edward, Margot (Dorthhy) and Eveleen. His eldest son and heir was Edward. Margot Tennant was the second wife of Prime Minister Herbert Asquith (1908-16). They had a son Anthony Asquith, a notable film director. Amongst his notable films were, 'The Winslow Boy' (1948), 'The Browning Version' (1951), 'The Importance of Being Ernest' (1952), and the 'Millionairess'.

Mother

Her mother was Gertrude Barbara Rich Collier. Her mother had grown up in France. She was close to Flaubert, Gambetta and other important French intellectuals. Mrs Tennant's London salon attracted leading members of London society, especially writers and artists. individuals incuded Primeminiter William Gladstone, Sir John Ruskin, Alfred Lord Tennyson, George F. Watts, and Edward Burne-Jones. Eveleen who was the youngest of three daughters thus grew up in a highly literate and artistic environment. And both Eveleen and her sister Dorothy played active roles in their mother's artistic social life. Apparently their elder sister, Alice, was not as attractive and never married. Both Dorthy and Eveleen were beautiful girls. They were painted by Frederick Watts and John Everett Millais capturing their beauty. The portraits were shown at the Royal Academy a matter of considerable social prestige.

Childhood

Eveleen Tennant Myers (Eveleen Myers, née Tennant) was born in London (1856). We do not know much about her childhood except for being involved in her mother's social swirl. We do not vhave any childhood images.

Sister

Dorothy like Eveleen was a beautiful gurl. She had an interesting life of her own, marring the explorer H.M. Stanley. She was a very acomplished artist. She studied art under Edward Poynter at the Slade School of Fine Art and with Jean-Jacques Henner in Paris. She thus became known as Lady Stanley. She assusted with her husband's autobiography. One of her editorial steps was to remove all references to other women. After Stanley's death, she married Henry Jones Curtis ( -1944), a pathologist, surgeon and writer (1907). She was also authored a few books and illustrated several others.

Marriage

Eveleen married the writer Frederick William Henry Myers (1843-1901) in 1880. Her husband was a classical scholar, poet and school inspector. He had become disillusioned by traditional Christian religious beliefs. He dabeled in spiritualism and helped found the Society for Psychical Research (1882) that attempted to investigated paranormal phenomena with scientific methods. He travelled widely within the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States. The results of research were reviewed in Human Personality and Its Survival of Bodily Death, published after his death. The Myers moved to Leckhampton House, Cambridge which had been designed especially for them by the noted architect William C. Marshall. The house today is part of Corpus Christi College.

Children

Frederick and Eveleen had three children, two boys and a girl. The oldest boy was Leopold Hamilton (1881-1944). He was named after his godfather, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany. Judging by the photograpohiuc record, Leopold was Evelyn's favorite. Their daughter was Silvia Constance (1883-1957). Harold was the youngest (1886-1952). We do not know much about the children. They were fairly close in age and seem to have been a close family group. We do not notice them with other children. The images suggest that Frederick and Eveleen were very involved and carrying children. We do not notice any nursemaids or sevants helping with the children. but this could be a matter of sub=ject choice. Leopold went on to become a highly regarded writer himself. He was educated at Eton College and Trinity College. His trilogy/tetralogy The Root and the Flower was a historically set work. It takes place in India at the time of Akbarthe Great, the most important of the Mogul emperor. He never traveled to India and the work has been criticized for its lack of authentic color.

Photography

Eveleen apparently lacking artistic skills of her sister took up photography (1888). Modern snap shot photography had not yet been developed. Photography was still a rather complicated matter and mostly a male persuit. Her initial interest was taking portraits of the children. Biographers believe that the idea was inplanted when as ahild she was photographed by Julia Margaret Cameron while on a vacation to the Isle of Wight. Cameron is the first female photographer of any importance that we have noted. Her photographic activity seems to work seems to have been rather short lived (1888-mid-1890s), but she plunged into it seriously. She set up a studio in their home, Leckhampton House. She did her own developing and printing. Her subjects included both her children and their residence, Leckhampton House. Many of the children's photographs are of the children playing or portraits. She seems to have desired to capture the fleeting years of childhood, but the children are only one part of her body of work. She was mostly self taught, but she had friends her oferred her useful advice. Albert George Dew Smith, a lens maker and gifted amateur photographer was helpful. She also owned a number of original prints by Julia Margaret Cameron whose work she admired. And we notice her psing the children in Cameronesque ibfluenced compositions. These attempts at pre-Rhaphelite tyoe images with Leopold posed as a cherubs with wings. We do not know why Harold was not used as a cherub as he was a more suitable age. But what makes her photography particularly notable and importantvhistorically is that among her social set she developed a reputation as a talented pgotographer. Myers along with two other female British photograophers, Cameron and Alice Hughes (1857-1939), had unparalled access to the British political and intellectual elite. In Meyer's case it was at forst through her mother's salon in London. And then her husband had many professional connections at Cambridge University. As a result, Meyers was able to produce a notable series of portraits of Robert Browning (1899). The imges are of Briowing as ab older man. And she published another portfolio with images of Gladstone, Chamberlain, Balfour, and Galton (1900). Eveleen seems to have lost interest in photography after the death of her husband . She left Leckhampton, where her studio was located, and devoted herself to publishing her husband's papers. Another factor may have been thst the chikdren were getting older.

Children's Clothes

The photographic immages Eveleen Tennant Meyers produced are interesting and show how children from well-to-do soiciety were dressed. Difficult to understand. Both Harold and Leopold wore dresses when they were little which was not uncommon at the time. What we do not understand is that Harlod was breeched and had his hair cut short before his older brother. Here we see Harold wearing a sweter. His older bfother is wearing a pinafore with some sort of sailor outfit. It is most likely a sailor suit, but we can't tell from the image. Family conventions concerning hair and clothing varied widely. This was, however, not common. And we notice that Leopold did not always wear skirted garments. We also notice images of him wearing trousers. Sailor outfits seem very popular reflecting popular fashions. We also see Harold, but not Leopold wearing a Fauntleroy velvet suit and lace collar. The children usually wore long stockings.

Created: 3:31 AM 8/20/2012
Last updated: 3:31 AM 8/20/2012