Esther TREASE nee WHITEHOUSE - c1890

This is a 5.75" x 4" sepia photo on a 6.5" x 4" cream mount with a gold leaf edge, and "G.Renwick Artist" engraved on the front in gold leaf. The reverse has order no 8603 written in ink and advertises G Renwick Artist and Photographer Burton-on-Trent with illustrations of 5 medals won (latest is dated 1884). There are remains of adhesive mounts which indicate that the photo was once mounted in an album or picture frame.

The photo is a head and shoulders portrait of an elderly lady. She is wearing an elaborate headdress from which flow two swathes of material to her shoulders. Two coils of hair hang one to each side of her face. Her dress has a high neckline.

This photo was in the possession of descendants of John's son, Henry Trease. Another copy was located in the possession of descendants of John's son, William Trease and appears to have been taken from the same or an almost identical negative but, whereas the edges of the copy shown here gradually fade away, the edges of the other copy form a distinct oval shape.

Ethel Adams said she had a photograph of her grandmother, presumably another copy of this photograph and described her as "a wonderful woman who lived to be 94 - she was one of Nature's gentlewomen and we all loved her." It seems fairly certain that this photo is the one that Ethel refers to as it has been found in the families of two different descendants, was taken where Esther lived and shows a lady of the correct age for the date taken.

We know the photo must have been taken in 1884 or later as one of the medals won by the photographer and illustrated on the rear of the mount is dated 1883-1884. We also know that it must have been taken before 1896 as Esther died in that year.

A photograph found on the Internet with negative no 9142 and dated to 1892, has an identical reverse but the front differs in that it includes the legend BURTON ON TRENT after the word "Artist". That website also shows a photograph with negative number 6776 dated to 1883-85 and others with a "six medal" (later) reverse and negative numbers 10084 and 12510 also dated to 1892.