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This postcard-back portrait look like a small nursery school, perhaps run by two ladies or one lady and a helper. The setting looks like the back garden (yard) of a family home. We do not know the name of theschool, but it aooears to be located in Farleigh. The children look to be 4-5 years old, about kindergarten age. There do not seem to be any really young children. English schools, even, primary schools, were commonly gender specific, but nursery schools were commonly mixed genders. We think thsat it was quite common for ladies to set up pre-schools. There was a long tradition of this in education. The dame school was an important part of English education until the late-19h century. This and boarding houses were acceptsable ways for single women, often windows, to make as living at a time when most avenues of employment were still closed off to women. The children are dressed variously. We see some sailor suits and smocks. The gender of most of the children is obvious. The date is interesting -- July 31. This is summer vacation time, suggesting child care rather than education. But the card could have ben sent after the portrait was taken. The date of course was when the postcard was sent.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[The 1880s]
[The 1920s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
