Alice Hyde Duval
Vera Duval
Leon & Frank Duval
A few weeks ago, Su Leslie over at Shaking the Tree, posted a photo of Isabella in uniform. I commented that I had similar photos of my 2nd great grandmother, Alice, and her daughter, Vera, and that I would check the backs of the photos to see if there was more information. Well… it appears I had mixed up a few images in my mind.
The photos I have of Alice & Vera are clearly not women in military uniform but rather flight gear. Leon & Frank, two of Alice’s sons, however are in some sort of uniform. I suppose since it’s all the same family that explains my lapse in memory.
The photos of Alice & Vera were probably taken sometime in the mid 20s to 1930. My great grandfather Frank owned a small private plane at this time and that might explain why they had photos taken in these outfits.
The photo of Leon & Frank has the following written on the back: Leon & Frank, “Cadets”, Lynn Valley. There is no date, I would guess the photo was taken around 1910. Lynn Valley is in British Columbia, Canada. I am curious about what type of “Cadets” they were. Their father worked for the Forest Service, I wonder if there is some sort of connection?
These are wonderful photos! You’re right that the flying clothes don’t look overtly military; but definitely reminiscent of pictures I’ve seen of Amelia Earhart (especially this one http://www.nasm.si.edu/imagedetail.cfm?imageID=2770) . Perhaps it was a kind of homage to the “lady fliers”. The boys uniforms definitely look military. I have photos of a great uncle similarly dressed in studio portraits, but he was younger and I think more likely to be being “dressed up for the photo. Your boys were much more likely to have belonged to a cadet group. It’s interesting they are wearing different hats. I don’t know anything about Canadian military uniforms, but I recognise the “lemon squeezer” on the older boy. NZ troops wore them in WWI. Mind you, it also looks like a Mountie’s hat so perhaps that doesn’t help. Good luck finding out! And thank you for the pingback!
Thank you Su. I need to do a little research on the boy’s photo for sure. I think they look pretty adorable. The poor ladies though – not very flattering outfits.
🙂 I do wonder though how the women felt about wearing trousers? I’m thinking that in “normal life” women spent most of their time in skirts. Did they find the experience of wearing pants liberating – even if just for dress-up? I know that trousers are my default choice for everyday. “Dressing up” is exactly that in my life!
You are probably right!