‘Since the invention of the camera the desire to record the lives of our children has provided photographers with a steady stream of subjects.’ BBC

The photographs in The Hidden Mother collection are Victorian portraits of children, but with their mothers, sometimes eerily, concealed in the background. In the days where exposure times were long (30 seconds or more), mothers were required to keep their children still for long periods, and we all know how difficult that can be. The child/children were the focus of the portraits. This meant the mothers were shrouded under sheets or hidden behind drapes or furniture, seemingly erased. I find it absolutely fascinating. It perhaps gives an insight into the mother’s position/social standing in the Victorian era.

I’ve posted about Recording Baby Milestones and Preserving Memories and how I go about it. It’s wonderful to see how the technology and techniques change but our desire to capture snapshots of our childrens’ lives has remained the same.

The Hidden Mother photos

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