Baby Grotefent (either Alica Mary born 1872, or, William Henry born 1874) held by mother Jane Grotefent (behind curtain)

1872
Glass photonegative

A&A studio photographers managed to steady their smaller clients by placing them in the comfort of their mother’s lap. The presence of the mother was concealed beneath dark cloth and later the image was cropped to mask her being there. However, seeing the whole negative gives the game away. Alice grew up to become a public schoolteacher at Hill End in 1890.