Man with Whip, Trick Pony, and Two Sons

This father looks like a stern taskmaster, not just to the pony, but also to the two little boys. The pony poses meekly. The boy on the left is not at all relaxed—look at his shoulders!—and I'm wondering how often he felt the sting of that riding crop himself.

Pierre et Bergère (Pierre and Bergère)

Bergère means "shepherd" in French, and as a dog name, it would translate as "Shep." On the back of this photo it says Les deux sont inseparables, or "The two are inseparable." At first glance you might think Pierre was a girl, but you would be wrong. I'm betting he could do a lot of roughhousing in that sweet dress and sailor cap.

Teenage Girl with Pet Woodchuck

This girl is wearing a hairnet. At the time this snapshot was taken, around 1920, hairnets were all the rage. She probably raised her pet woodchuck from infancy. He's cute now, but as with all wild pets, when woodchucks mature, they have a mating agenda and no longer make cuddly pets.

Three Boys with Tortoise and Pinwheels

This is probably a professional portrait of these three boys with their large pet tortoise, judging from the sharpness of the image and the quality of the paper. Apparently it's not a windy day -- their pinwheels aren't spinning.

Sage Biggs and Some Kittens

Here's a studio photograph of a little girl named Sage and several kittens. The kittens might be hers, or they might be the photographer's. Some photographers kept cute pets in the studio to pose with children when they were having their portraits made. Sage's pose is unusual; profile poses of children are seldom seen.

South Dakota Studio Portrait, Boy, Dog, Puppies

Because of the necessary skylight, photography studios were on the top floor of their building. It must have taken some effort to get this dog and her four puppies up one or more flights of stairs for this portrait. Note that the boy's hat advertises 5¢ cigars—maybe his father was a tobacconist. This image was taken about 1900.

Girl Feeding Cats

This sharply focused image was used in a stereoview card published by George W. Griffith, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the 1890s. You can see the dot pattern on the girl's dress, the texture of the cats' fur, and the individual blades of grass.

1860s Hand-tinted Albumen, Girl with Dog

This small gem measures 3.75" x 2.5" and is in a little gold-colored frame with the original convex glass. The hand-tinting is expertly done, right down to the dog's pink tongue.

1930s Snapshot of Twins with Rabbit

These twins look about ten years old and they are enjoying their relationship. They're both wearing wire-rimmed glasses. The rabbit looks pretty comfortable.

RPPC of Two Girls with Dog and Doll

These two strange-looking girls must have been a challenge for the photographer. There really wasn't any way to make them attractive, though it looks like someone tried to tint the right-hand girl's cheeks. The dog is the cutest one in the picture. This is an RPPC (real-photo postcard).

Carte-de-visite, Boy with dog, ca. 1868

Here's a carte-de-visite showing a young boy named Eugene in an off-the-shoulder dress. the diagonal rug pattern mimics the bias-cut diagonal plaid of his dress. I'm thinking late 1860s for this one, based on the clothing and the style of the CDV.

Cabinet Card, Boys with Goldfish, ca. 1908

It's possible that the fishbowl is the photographer's prop, but it was not unusual for families to bring pets to the photographer's studio, including bowls of fish and songbirds in cages. These well-to-do-boys have bowl haircuts stylish in the late 1910s, with their heads shaved below the bowl. They are wearing kid shoes — Mary Janes on the older boy and shoes with ankle straps on the younger brother.

Cabinet Card, Child in Pinafore with Kitten

This child's straight hair has been carefully curled for the photo session; it is probably a girl, but could be a boy, despite the ruffly pinafore. The child's hand rests gently on the kitten. They both look at the camera with a little bit of suspicion. A beautifully balanced composition.

Percy Putnam and his Banty Rooster

Here's little Percy Putnam cradling his bantam rooster. This is a studio photo, probably from the 1890s. As I've collected these images, I've been surprised at the number of poultry pets. Some children had their pictures taken with their chickens in the farmyard or on the steps of their home, but amazingly many took their chicken or goose in to the photographer's studio for a formal portrait.

Cabinet Card, Girl with Parrot, ca. 1885

Here's a young girl about three years old in a studio portrait with fake rocks and grass. She seems very comfortable with the parrot, and vice-versa, so it's probably her family's pet. The plain, masculine dress could be a boy's dress, but the child's hair is parted in the center, so she is almost certainly a girl. I'm guessing ca. 1885 for this one.