Rare Childhood Photo of Harry
Henry “Harry” Aird: 1886-1966 (Paternal Grandfather)
Following my mother-in-law’s death, family members divided
up the family photos and correspondence she had been saving. Our niece scanned
hundreds of photos and gave us all USB drives of the scans. Among the photos
was a class photo of Harry Aird and his classmates and teachers at a Dundee
school. I was so excited to receive this photo—childhood photos from the 19th
century are quite rare, especially when the families were poor as the Airds
were. This may be the only childhood photo we will ever see of Harry.
Henry “Harry” Aird was born September 16, 1886 in Scotland
to parents James and Jane Robertson Aird. He was the fourth of their eventual
seven surviving children. The family lived in the parish of Liff and Benvie
just outside of Dundee, Scotland. Harry’s father was a cabinetmaker who died
when Harry was only twenty-one.
There is no information on the photo to help identify the school, grade level or year the photograph was taken. Harry appears to be between the ages of seven and nine, making the possible years 1893-1895.
The photo bears a label that was probably typed by my mother-in-law,
Laurel Jandy Aird. It reads,”Harry Aird, schoolboy Dundee, Scotland. 2d row
from top, extreme right.”
The photography studio name is visible on the photo: D &
W Prophet, with an address of 59 Wellgate in Dundee. I researched the studio,
and discovered that it operated under that name from 1886 until 1914, and that
the owners, David and William Prophet, specialized in school photography.
The students seem to be wearing a sort of uniform—most are
in wool jackets, some with vests, with white, collared shirts beneath. They
wear ties. They wear short pants and dark, knee-length stockings, and shoes
that lace above the ankle. Harry is the only boy wearing a sweater over his
white shirt instead of a jacket. Several of the boys’ jackets feature tears on
the elbows and sleeves, and frayed cuffs. These children did not come from
wealthy families.
Torn sleeve on left, and ragged cuff on right.
There are forty boys in the photo. They appear to be around
the same age, so I believe this is a single class. There are two adults in the
photo—the older, bearded gentleman at the far right, top row, and the young
woman in the middle of the top row. Were both the adults teachers, or did the
young woman have another function at the school?
 |
| Woman with mutton-chop sleeves on her dress and a brooch on her collar. Teacher? |
Harry looks worried or angry in the photo—his eyebrows are
drawn into a near frown. All the boys are serious, but Harry is more than
serious.
I checked Harry’s responses to the U. S. Census questions
regarding schooling. He reported on the 1940 census that he had completed 2
years of high school, which indicates he left school around age sixteen. That
was quite common for students in Great Britain who did not intend to attend a
university. Harry was perhaps his second or third year of schooling when the
photo was taken.
Following his father’s death in 1908, Harry emigrated to the
United States, arriving November 13, 1910. He settled in Detroit and worked as
a hardware supplies salesman. He married May Shields in 1917, and was the
father of John Aird.
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| Harry on vacation in Canada in his forties, circa 1930 |
I am so grateful to have this photo of young Harry. Since I
found no other information about Harry’s education, the school he attended, or
details from his youth, this photo is our only window into his childhood in
Scotland. He was a handsome little boy, and I hope that, despite his wrinkled
brow in the photo, he enjoyed his school years.
Sources:
Aird Family Photos.
https://www.edinphoto.org.uk/PP_N/pp_prophet_family_and_business.htm
https://atom.lib.strath.ac.uk/d-w-prophet
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