Can Rootschat members help? - Lost Teddy Bear 'Seeks' Owner

[trystan]

• Trystan (or someone) - could you get back to the Bristol people and get a hi-res scan of the mug (is there an engraving on it?) and the locket (is it really a baby or just a cameo).

Yes, I'll get back to the wonderful lady at Bristol Airport to try and get the photo better scanned (the close-ups that I provided earlier were a 100% crop of the photo, but I believe they were taken with an IPhone).

Trystan

[Sprutorch9]

I agree.
My questions would be:
Are we sure that name is Dora?
And that 'One year & 5 months old' should not be 'One year & 5 months ago'?  and is just a misprinted word by the writer?
Baby is capitalized so seems to be a nickname so I am assuming it is not the infant that is possibly in the locket.
Also - are we sure that the writing is on the back of the photo or is it on a separate postcard?

[trystan]

I'd say the main section (right side up) was written by Mummie with the kids present. The upside-down part was probably added by Mummie afterwards (perhaps the kids are in bed) before posting.

Probably not significant but an interesting thought.

Neither children could read at that age though, so do you think that (possibly) the upside down part may have been added a lot later to document the card possibly?

As promised the photo of the postcard/photo as attached.

Yes, the writing is on the back of the photograph which is printed as a postcard at the back. The photo is a postcard, in other words, with that writing on the back of it. It is not two items.

Trystan

[Finley 1]

Taken on babys first birthday March 4th 1918.

One year and 5 months old.


I think that is just a notation for the Mother or whoever 'held' the card to remember the date of the card.  I have lots of silly scribble on the back of photos that are just notations  or memory joggers.

I have inverted the card and removed the blue so as to see the words a little clearer
or not
xin

[Sprutorch9]

Excellent!
I could not get the blue out and just sent a copy to my 'computer guru' to see what she could do with it.
Sure looks like 'Dora' to me!
(I had thought the scribbles were from a child playing with it.)

[Erato]

My two cents worth:

The photo was taken on 4 March 1918.  This was the anniversary of Baby's birth.  Baby was an older child, probably the first born, and deceased.  The photo was taken to commemorate his/her birthday and the younger children, Dora and Glyn, were posed with reminders of Baby - the locket, the silver mug, and possibly the bear.  It was sent to Daddie who was away from home, presumably in the army.  Later, a note was made on the photo to indicate that, at the time it was taken, Glyn was 1 year 5 months old.  This would mean he was born in about October 1916.

[Bobi.com]

I may be totally off the track but here is my theory .....  "Daddie" has been away, possibly at war. "Baby" is Dora and was born before he went away. The picture is taken on Dora's birthday to be sent to him. Mummy was pregnant with "Glyn" prior to Daddies departure, and was 17 months old at the time of the photo being taken. Daddy would have called Dora "Baby" as she was born before he left.
I truly hope there is a happy ending to this story.

[millymcb]

Taken on babys first birthday March 4th 1918.

Hi all - just catching up on the mystery

To save any confusion.... it just says taken on baby's birthday - no mention of it being "first" birthday.

I agree with theories so far - Dora (daughter) and Glyn (son - youngest).
Baby could be either of the two children - or indeed another baby either living or deceased). 
The more I look at it I can see that the 1 yr 5 months comment COULD be saying it was taken in march and that it was now 1 yr 5 months old. (although that is quite specific to date a photo - rather than saying 1 and a half years old or whatever

Milly

[sami]

First of all, I don't think there was an earlier child. Who co-ordinates a photo session with living children to commemorate a dead child's birthday? But that's just my way of thinking.

So here's my kick at the can:

The photo was taken on 4 March 1918 and probably sent to Daddie who is in the war. There are only 2 children, the daughter Dora and the son Glyn. The photo was taken on Dora's birthday and at that time Glyn was 1 year 5 months old - so he was born Fall, 1916. Dora is celebrating her 3rd birthday - so she was born 4 March 1915.

sami