Dublin tennis match, 1900s

This photograph shows a woman called Kathleen Shanks playing tennis. I reckon it dates from between 1900 and 1910 although I am not too sure of the location.  It might be at the Clontarf Lawn Tennis Club as the family lived in that area, however, there are several other clubs in suburban Dublin whose courts are in similar settings. I like the silhouetted houses and the fact that the two men in the background appear to float in mid air just like the tennis ball that Kathleen is about to hit!
White was considered a suitable colour for sporting activities as it does not show perspiration as readily as other colours and Kathleen’s outfit was typical of that worn during the early twentieth century. The Painted Woman blog has a great post on the history of tennis clothing for women with particular emphasis on the 1930s.

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Hi-jinks in Dublin!

This jumping man comes from an album I recently received from a military historian friend. It belonged to the well-to-do Foley family from North County Dublin and dates from between 1900 and 1920. It is full of great snapshots like this one which is part of a series taken at some sort of camp along the coast of Dublin. The ability to freeze action was called ‘instant photography’ and it became a staple of amateur practice in the early decades of the 20th Century. It reminds me of the iconic Lartigue photograph of his cousin ‘flying’.  This is featured in the BBC’s documentary series The Genius of Photography.

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