Artwork
Photograph
Photograph is a photographic photography by Unknown. It dates from 1920 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
The image is a black‑and‑white photograph, slightly faded with age, depicting a young girl, approximately six years old, engaged in play among garden surroundings. She is surrounded by a small wagon and assorted dolls and toys, offering a candid glimpse of childhood leisure.
Subject & Meaning
The child portrayed is Marion Paslet, captured in a moment of informal recreation. The composition emphasizes everyday domestic life, reflecting the personal nature of family photographs as records of intimate, ordinary experiences.
Technique & Style
The work is an early photographic print, likely produced on paper typical of mid‑20th‑century amateur photography. Its monochrome palette and soft focus result from the limitations of the era’s equipment and the subsequent fading of the emulsion over time.
History & Provenance
The photograph entered the museum’s holdings as part of the Pascoe collection, which includes a range of family items such as additional photographs, school reports, exercise books, and paintings. The donation provides contextual material that situates the image within a broader family archive.
Context
Within the collection, this picture contributes to an understanding of domestic visual culture, illustrating how families documented childhood moments before the widespread adoption of color photography. It aligns with similar vernacular images held by institutions like the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
