Tiny Tintype

This is my mother's father's mother -- my great-grandmother. Cynthia Mary Grayson was born in 1867, and she looks to be eight or nine years old here, so this tintype dates back to around 1875-1876.

The image is 1.6 inch / 4 cm  high and just over 1 inch /about 2.6 cm wide, and on the paper sleeve is written "Gran" in my maternal grandmother's handwriting. That must have been what she called her mother-in-law.

Below that is the subject's name in her own delicate handwriting and the inscription "To Grandmaw."  Cynthia Mary's paternal grandmother died in 1858, before she was born, so the inscription must have referred to her maternal grandmother, who had nine children -- the oldest of whom was CM's mother -- and lived to age 98.

This Cynthia carried the name of her father's sister, and I carry her name, chosen by my mother for her first child. I have several of my great-grandmother's monogrammed silver teaspoons and tiny demitasse spoons, and I use them every day. I think she'd be pleased to know that, even though she might throw up her hands at the informality of my kitchen!

I also have a treasured basket that has a direct connection to before Cynthia Mary's birth, which I blipped in 2012. There is a photo of her mother in that blip, as well as the basket.

Thanks again to JDO for hosting TinyTuesday -- you can see this week's entries here.


Blip 1407