[ Girl Guides in 1930s Britain. ] Album of photographs of a company of Girl Guides camping at a number of locations including Foxlease in Hampshire and Tarrant Keyneston in Dorset, taken between 1929 and 1936, compiled by 'E. Tait'.

Author: 
[ Girl Guide movement in 1930s Great Britain; Foxlease, Hampshire; 'E. Tait'; 'Miss Popham' ]
Publication details: 
The photographs mainly taken at Foxlease in Hampshire, but also at Tarrant Keyneston, Dorset, and other locations. Between 1929 and 1936.
£220.00
SKU: 18351

189 black and white photographs, ranging in size from 15 x 10.5 cm to 4.5 x 7 cm, loosely inserted (i.e. not mounted but removable) on the fifty leaves of a 20 x 30 cm album. While the photographs themselves are in good condition, the album is somewhat worn and aged. Painted in large Gothic letters at centre of front cover is 'Camp Snaps'; with the name of the compiler 'E. TAIT' at top right. Inscribed inside cover 'From “Porky” | September 4th, 1934'. The leaves of the album are made of thick black paper, and more than three-quarters of the photographs are neatly captioned in white ink. The album opens with a large image of three smiling Girl Guides in front of tents, one of them the compiler, taken at 'Camp 1929' (in unspecified location), with caption 'Miss Smythe | Picket Post | Tait . Coppel . Gates'. The photographs that follow depict happy and excited Girl Guides (often named in captions) engaging in activities (including striking camp, cooking, playing cricket) and at rest, with their adult 'officers', at camps at the following locations. 1930 and 1931: 'Tarrant Keynstone [sic]' (added in 1930: 'Co[mmandant]: - Miss Popham'). 1932: 'Orchard Site | Foxlease'. 1933: 'Blackheath Site Foxlease Hants' (including 'Tea Hike'). 1934 and 1935: 'Sussex Site, Foxlease'. 1936: 'County Camp | Rivington Park', 'Longford Castle' and 'Orchard Site'. Head among the female 'officers' is the 'Commandant', 'Miss Popham', who bears a resemblance to the head of the Sussex Girl Guides, Lady Popham-Brooke, but is unlikely to be her. Other officers include 'Miss Wilson', 'Branson', 'Burstal', 'Biddlecombe', 'Morgan' and 'Sister'. Captions include: '1st Christchurch, Sister & Vera', 'Blind March', '6th East & “Billy”', 'Chief Guide & County Commissioner', 'Emptying Paliasses', 'Striking Store Tent', 'Hike at Queen's Bower', 'Canteen', 'Visitors' Day', 'Rest Hour', 'Swimming Bath', 'Breakfast on Sunday Morn', '”The Golden Orioles”', 'Swimming Pool', 'Ice Pudding', 'Bagpipes', 'Convent at Work'. The Foxlease estate, sixty-five acres in extent, was acquired by the Girl Guides in 1922, and is still a training and activity centre for the movement.