Figure 1.--This portrait shows Alan in August 1873. He has a short hair cut, but there is a good bit of hair around the ears. His hair seems better groomed than his brother at about the same time. He has a small pointed collar. His neckwear is difficult to make out, but we can tell he is wearing a vest. He looks to be about 11 years old. Image coutesy of the MD collection.

The boys un the album were Charley (1860), Alan (1861), Bertie (1863), and Guy (1867). John and Maurice came later than the period covered by this albumn. The first three boys were very close in age. The children's ages are not indicated on the photographs, but a family member has provided them to us. The helps to show that some of these are very early CDVs. (At least they would have been in America, I am not sure precisely when they first appeared in Britain.) There were also photos of the sisters as well. As most of the images are individual portraits, we have few clues as to the relationship between the brothers and sisters. Often group portraits provide body language clues. A British reader reports seeing some CDVs from 1859, but most date from the early 1860s. There were also photos of five sisters as well: Ethel (1860), Ellen Ada (1864), Grace (1865), Constance Eva--Connie (1870), Florence Howard--Florrie (1872), Winifred (1877), and Marguerite Sara (1879). As most of the images are individual portraits, we do not have any clues as to the relationship between the brothers and sisters. Often group portraits provide body language clues.

Brothers

There were four boys, Charly, Alan, Bertie, and Guy. Quite a number of CDV portraits show how the boys were dressed over time. Thanks to the family, we also know a little bit about their lives.

Charles (Charley) (1860-1939)

Charley was the oldest brother. He appears to have been born about 1859. He must have worn dresses as a little boy, although we have no early portraits. The earlies portrait of Charly was made in 1864. He looks to be about 5 years old. He has been breached, but his hair has been done in ringlet curls--at least at the side. He wears a light-colored knickers suit with a white straw hat. We notice another portait of Charley in 1866 in a dark suit with much more formally done ringlet curls. Sir Charles Wentworth Stanley KB, educ. Trinity College, Cambridge, served as a Major in WW1 in the Suffolk Regiment. Married 1890 Helen Anderson (1865-1943) of Melbourne, Australia; 2 children, Charles (1892-1960) [our reader's grandfather] and Barbara (1901-1915)

Alan (1861-1946)

Alan Sidney Wentworth was born in 1861. The first available image shows Alan in April 1863. He is wearing a checkered dress. He looks to be about 1 year old. Interestingly his hair is short and styled much like that at an older boy. The dress sees to have a white collar. We see Alan at 11 years of age in 1873 with a short hair cut, but there is a good bit of hair around the ears. His hair seems better groomed than his brother at about the same time. He has a small pointed collar. His neckwear is difficult to make out, but we can tell he is wearing a vest. Alan Sidney Wentworth, later of Great Chesterfield, Essex, educ. Eton, also served in the Suffolk Regiment (1917, Lieut.Col.). Married 1890 Lilian Anderson (d.1946) of Melbourne, Australia, the sister of Helen above, 1 son, Alan (1891-1954 – no children).

Herbert Foster (Bertie) (1863-1900)

Herbert Foster Wentworth [“Bertie”] was born in 1863. Bertie is a popular English knickname, in this case the shortened form of Herbert. Even the Prince of Wales at the time was called Bertie, within the family of course. It was short for Albert. Bertie was very close in age to his older brother. We estimate that he was born about 1863-64. A portait of Bertie in 1866 shows him wearing a checkered dress just like one his older brother had worn. Bertie's hair, however, was done in ringlets. We have not noted Alan's hair done in ringlets and are not sure why there was this diference. A portrait in 1868 shows Bertie wearing a knickers velvet suit. The jacket is small and in the cutaway style. His hair is very full, but no longer done in riunglets. A portait of Bertie at about 9-10 years old in 1873 shows Bertie with short hair cut, but there is a good bit of hair around the ears. He had a small rounded collar and neckwear looking rather like an early necktie. Bertie was educated at Eton and Royal Military College, after which he served in the 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers. He never married. After his death during the Boer War, Winston Churchill described him in a dispatch as “a very gallant officer”.

Guy (1867-1949)

Guyt appears to be the youngest brother. We have one portrait taken in 1873. He looks to be 4 years old. He has a coat with high lapels and a vest (waistcoat). His shirt has a small rounded collar without any neckwear. He has a full head of hair, but cut short. Guy never married,. He became a sSolicitor [lawyer] in Cambridge.

John Cyril Wentworth (1868-1940)

John Cyril Wentworth emigrated to the United States.

Maurice William Wentworth (1874-1942)

Maurice William Wentworth, unmarried

Sisters

There were also photos of five sisters as well: Ethel (1860), Ellen Ada (1864), Grace (1865), Constance Eva--Connie (1870), Florence Howard--Florrie (1872), Winifred (1877), and Marguerite Sara (1879). One of the girls were called Nellie, but I am not sure which one. We note the girls wearing long hair, but not done in ringlets like their brothers. White dresses were popular. The images of their brothers in dresses show them wearing checked patternrd dresses. Both boys and girls wore dresses with white socks and strap shoes. Ethel here was photograhed in May 1866. She looks to be about 6 years old which means that she was born about 1860. It is difficult to make out much detail from the image such as the collar. Like the dresses the boys wore, it looks like there is no collar on the dress and it has low neckline. She seems to us a perfect little English Alice in Wonderland. Stangely many of the girls never married. I am not sure why.