My great-grandmother, Lucia, was a gently beautiful woman. I have late Victorian photographs to show me just how charming she was to look at and last week I created an image with her as the centrepiece. This particular photograph (below), which admittedly stands on its own, was exquisitely hand-tinted.
Being me, however, I wanted to embellish it! I used my own textures and backgrounds alongside one from The Graphics Fairy and one from Deviant Art.
Lucia died in 1906 when she was in her 40s. There is some mystery about how she died. My mother used to imagine that Lucia had had a riding accident since she found the idea so romantic. I obtained Lucia’s death certificate from Somerset House but the writing is too spidery to transcribe and be certain of the cause. Her name suggests there was an Italian connection in the family but I have searched to no avail and the names of her siblings are relentlessly English. I am disappointed not to have Italian blood in my veins!
In 1991 my mother, Benedicta Leigh, had her memoirs published by Virago, The Catch Of Hands.
She writes about her grandmother:
She taught my mother how to play the tambourine in the proper way, and my mother taught me in a dark nursery, the wet railings of the square outside shining like licorice…
‘… Lucia died quite young, and we did not meet, nor did I know how she had died, and there was no asking in the shadowed pauses of tea-time conversation.
Sometimes the sisters spoke of her: ‘Mother might have–’ or ‘Mother didn’t–’ they would say, leaving a farthing of silence to check questioning. Which was not allowed, of course – but minds hopped through hoops of chance. For nobody ever spoke about Lucia. Perhaps it was a hunting accident that took her, for in a photograph, a stocky groom in shirtsleeves and billy-cock hat holds a stubby little pony by a rein. But nothing is betrayed, and our grandfather is wounded forever it seems, although he married again to kiss it better and for comfort…
… In the large coloured photograph, she looks young, composed, informed. Neither pretty nor beautiful, but distinctive, guarding her intelligence as though she feels hazarded by it…’
Take care and keep laughing!
i really love your treatment of this photo…it brings out her expression, which is singular! and how fascinating, to have a little mystery there to dig for… 🙂
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What a beautiful comment! Thanks so much, Zoe.
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Reblogged this on First Night Design and commented:
A post from 2011.
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Lovely post! There’s nothng like family for a little mystery and romance!
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love that you have a photo of your Great-Grandmother … so many do not have such references to go by…she was quite distinguished …and seemed proud of who she was!
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Do you want me to have a look on the census returns for her? Won’t take a minute. email me if you do.
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Hope you got my email, Elaine.
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Found it in my spam folder! Got a result. See what you think.
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Just replied.
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Did you get the stuff?
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Yes! Thank you very much. Sorry I haven’t replied yet but rather snowed under!
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No, that’s fine. Just having a few problems with my computer.
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What a wonderful post and beautiful photograph of your Great Grandmother.
There seem to have been so many secrets in those days – even when I was young, I was aware of lots of family secrets….all guarded so tightly!
What you have done to the photograph is fantastic and only enhances. Hope all is well and that it’s a little cooler for you. Janet:)x
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I love this! What a beautiful photo and post! 😀
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this is an amazing picture. you are so lucky to have this and i love how you’ve embellished it, it seems to only add to her allure and her mystery. wonderful )
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I’m pretty good at reading bad writing (being a doctor myself) but might be better to retain the mystery. Wonderful image…I’m sure the Italians won’t mind if you want to claim some connection…
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Wow. Precious photo you have, wonderful that your mother got her memoir out, and that you were able to do justice to your loveliness with your magic eye.
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A quite beautiful but typical Victorian pose in the picture. I love what you did to make it your own.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
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Thank you, David. Equally massive hugs to you!
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What a beautiful and intriguing woman 🙂 and I love what you did with her photo.
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I’m so glad you like it. Thanks for visiting.
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You are welcome!
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