A wonderfully atmospheric original 1930s photograph, showing an extraordinary gathering of women, babies and young children posed together beside what appears to be a large canvas big top or travelling show tent.

The huge canvas structure dominates the background, with its scalloped edging, ropes and guy lines clearly visible. Gathered in front are dozens of people, particularly women with babies and small children, suggesting this may have been a photograph of the families connected with a travelling circus or show community, rather than simply its audience.

It is the little details that make this photograph so captivating. Cloche hats and patterned dresses, babies balanced on knees and hips, children peering between adults, and one gentleman seated at the front with two babies on his lap. Some people smile for the camera while others are distracted by whatever is happening around them.

There is no inscription identifying the group or occasion, so the circus connection cannot be confirmed, but the enormous tent and the nature of the gathering make it a fascinating possibility.

The photograph has survived with plenty of evidence of its age, including creasing, surface marks, edge and corner wear, small areas of loss and a small puncture/tear within the image. Please look carefully through the photographs as these form part of the description.

A remarkable piece of 1930s vernacular and social history, particularly appealing for a collection of old photographs, circus and fairground ephemera or images of British everyday life.

Date: c.1930s
Size: approximately 20 x 14 cm
Original photograph, not a reproduction.