Elenor Elvira Buffington – The Hidden Mother Photos

https://louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-pho%3A453

This cute little girl was only a year old when her photo was taken circa 1872. If you look to the left of the photo, you can see she was being held by a woman, probably her mother. That was quite common when children were photographed. If you have ever tried to photograph a cranky child, you know they don’t sit still for very long. On top of the long exposure and the expense, you wanted to get it right the first time! What better way to keep a child calm than have Mama right there? Some Victorian baby photos have the mother that is holding them covered in a black sheet! You can tell there is someone there though.