Timberscombe Schoolchildren, Possibly 1910
Title
Timberscombe Schoolchildren, Possibly 1910
Subject
Description
The photograph above is of Timberscombe School children, that had been dated as 1910. It had originally been mounted for a history display held at Timberscombe School by Mary Wright, Head Teacher from 1976 to 1985. It differs from other school photographs of this era in a few respects. There is no Head Teacher present and it also does not include younger students. The age range at Timberscombe School, during this time, was usually four or five years to fourteen. This photograph seems to be of students from the upper age range--perhaps somewhere there is a separate photograph of what the school's Log Book referred to as "The Infants".
Without a teacher-- or a youngster in the front row holding a piece of slate or a small blackboard with the year chalked on it (common in other photographs)-- it is difficult to verify the date this photograph. Mrs. Wright had mounted it on a black backing with "1910 " penciled under it. It is noteworthy that the school Log Books never seem to record when a group photograph of students was scheduled. Taking a photograph at this time was more laborious than clicking a button and its doubtful the children were as well dressed on a daily basis. This is especially true of the boys--yet their attire can aid in dating the photograph.
The majority of the young men are wearing ties and have detachable shirt collars, most with rounded points that expand almost over their jacket lapels. The sitting boy in the front row is a good example. Sometimes called a poke collar, this Edwardian style was popular throughout the 1910's. SP-246 is a school photograph taken in 1914 with a top row of young male students at Timberscombe, all wearing dark clothing and similar collars, creating a blaze of white at their necks. By the earlier 1920s, collars remained detachable but had sharper points (sometimes called spear points), often held in place by collar pins, almost pressing the points against the collar bones (1). Many of these are evident at SP-247, taken in 1922 or 1923. Timberscombe was a small rural village, with most of these boys being the sons of agricultural labourers-- yet they dressed well for the annual school photograph.
The photograph seen here was taken in the garden behind the Timberscombe School. The white area behind the two (well-collared) boys in the back row is the rear wall of the original schoolroom, built beginning in 1805 (2). The sloping slate-tiled roof over a stone shed, that the girls on the left side of the photograph almost lean into, still exists. The darker wall of rubble and red sandstone on the right (hemming in the boys) and its extension are the northern side of a second schoolroom, constructed c. 1876 (3). This was a favoured location for a school photograph into the early 1920's, as seen at SP-076 and SP-247.
Normally one can look at children pictured in other photographs, seeking a child who might be one of the children in the photograph here--only younger or older. Especially with earlier photographs, this can be a fool's errand. Certainly there are cases when one student resembles another but in this case, not enough to be certain. Also it is not until the 1920's that we have more and more consecutive yearly photographs. As mentioned, pictured here are older children and most of the other photographs were likely taken later than this photograph. With most student leaving Timberscombe School by the age of fourteen, there are not that many options.
Nevertheless, if any characters are recognised (or even suspected), please let us know.
The photograph was generously donated in September 2021 by John D. Jones of Monmouthshire, the nephew of the late Mary Wright who felt it should return to its original location.
Without a teacher-- or a youngster in the front row holding a piece of slate or a small blackboard with the year chalked on it (common in other photographs)-- it is difficult to verify the date this photograph. Mrs. Wright had mounted it on a black backing with "1910 " penciled under it. It is noteworthy that the school Log Books never seem to record when a group photograph of students was scheduled. Taking a photograph at this time was more laborious than clicking a button and its doubtful the children were as well dressed on a daily basis. This is especially true of the boys--yet their attire can aid in dating the photograph.
The majority of the young men are wearing ties and have detachable shirt collars, most with rounded points that expand almost over their jacket lapels. The sitting boy in the front row is a good example. Sometimes called a poke collar, this Edwardian style was popular throughout the 1910's. SP-246 is a school photograph taken in 1914 with a top row of young male students at Timberscombe, all wearing dark clothing and similar collars, creating a blaze of white at their necks. By the earlier 1920s, collars remained detachable but had sharper points (sometimes called spear points), often held in place by collar pins, almost pressing the points against the collar bones (1). Many of these are evident at SP-247, taken in 1922 or 1923. Timberscombe was a small rural village, with most of these boys being the sons of agricultural labourers-- yet they dressed well for the annual school photograph.
The photograph seen here was taken in the garden behind the Timberscombe School. The white area behind the two (well-collared) boys in the back row is the rear wall of the original schoolroom, built beginning in 1805 (2). The sloping slate-tiled roof over a stone shed, that the girls on the left side of the photograph almost lean into, still exists. The darker wall of rubble and red sandstone on the right (hemming in the boys) and its extension are the northern side of a second schoolroom, constructed c. 1876 (3). This was a favoured location for a school photograph into the early 1920's, as seen at SP-076 and SP-247.
Normally one can look at children pictured in other photographs, seeking a child who might be one of the children in the photograph here--only younger or older. Especially with earlier photographs, this can be a fool's errand. Certainly there are cases when one student resembles another but in this case, not enough to be certain. Also it is not until the 1920's that we have more and more consecutive yearly photographs. As mentioned, pictured here are older children and most of the other photographs were likely taken later than this photograph. With most student leaving Timberscombe School by the age of fourteen, there are not that many options.
Nevertheless, if any characters are recognised (or even suspected), please let us know.
The photograph was generously donated in September 2021 by John D. Jones of Monmouthshire, the nephew of the late Mary Wright who felt it should return to its original location.
Creator
Anonymous
Date
possibly 1910
Contributor
Language
English
Identifier
dated as 1910, a photograph of schoolchildren in the back garden of the Timberscombe School / western edge of the village
Acquisition Date
2019
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PLACES: Schoolhouses / Timberscombe
PEOPLE: Unknown / Timberscombe
PEOPLE: Unknown / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2023
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
10 X 17
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) vintagedancer.com>1900s and gentlemansgazette.com>what-men-wore-in-the-1910s (2) VictoriaCountyHistory.ac.uk (3) Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, 8 March 1872-1 August 1892, pages 96 and 97
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2023
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-245
Technique
Copy
Citation
Anonymous, “Timberscombe Schoolchildren, Possibly 1910,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 13, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3523.
Comments