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Pretend Collection

Background imagePretend Collection: The Bright Young People - mock Rayner-Ponsonby wedding

The Bright Young People - mock Rayner-Ponsonby wedding
A group of Bright Young Things indulging in one of their many silly pranks, in this case a mock wedding where Elizabeth Ponsonby married John Rayner. The best man was Robert Byron

Background imagePretend Collection: The Party by Muriel Dawson

The Party by Muriel Dawson
A little girl in a pink dress entertains her toys with a tea party in her playroom

Background imagePretend Collection: Monkey driving a toy car

Monkey driving a toy car
A rather surreal photograph of a monkey driving a model vintage car

Background imagePretend Collection: Two Babies by Muriel Dawson

Two Babies by Muriel Dawson -- a little girl in a red dress has been bathing her doll. Date: 1930

Background imagePretend Collection: Bonzo palms the pill by George Studdy

Bonzo palms the pill by George Studdy
Bonzo palms the pill -- he is given a pill, but only pretends to take it. George Ernest Studdy (1878-1948), was the creator of Bonzo

Background imagePretend Collection: Queen Mother visiting London evacuees at Horsted Keynes, 1939

Queen Mother visiting London evacuees at Horsted Keynes, 1939
The Queen Mother(1900-2002) with evacuated children from Battersea. A little four year old girl called Shirely here is playing " mothers"

Background imagePretend Collection: Rather wonderful pair (possibly father and son?) dressed as Tom, Tom the Pipers Son

Rather wonderful pair (possibly father and son?) dressed as Tom, Tom the Pipers Son. The boy on the right is Tom, while the man on the left, dressed as a yokel, holds the pig that Tom steals

Background imagePretend Collection: Rock a Bye Baby by Muriel Dawson

Rock a Bye Baby by Muriel Dawson
A little girl in a charming sun hat, sits in a hammock and rocks her doll to sleep

Background imagePretend Collection: German U-Boats

German U-Boats
Terrified by German U-boats, the English pretend to be neutral (the Norwegian and British merchant navy flags are conveniently similar !)

Background imagePretend Collection: Human models pretending to be a marble statue

Human models pretending to be a marble statue
A pair of nude (mostly) human models pretending to be a marble statues, complete with rocky plinth! Date: circa 1910s

Background imagePretend Collection: Comic postcard, Two boys playing at soldiers, WW2

Comic postcard, Two boys playing at soldiers, WW2 Date: circa 1940s

Background imagePretend Collection: Two children in fancy dress; the little boy is dressed as a chef while a little girl

Two children in fancy dress; the little boy is dressed as a chef while a little girl makes a very respectable maid or waitress. Date: 1920s

Background imagePretend Collection: Woman perched on a wooden donkey at the seaside

Woman perched on a wooden donkey at the seaside, with a pier in the background (unknown location) c. 1925

Background imagePretend Collection: Holding up the pillar

Holding up the pillar
Three men and two small children pretend to be supporting the weight of a rather precariously leaning pillar - part of quite a grand countryside entrance way. Date: late 1930s

Background imagePretend Collection: Queen Elizabeth I dancing in her Palace in all her finery

Queen Elizabeth I dancing in her Palace in all her finery
Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) is pictured here dancing before a rich man in her Palace wearing a beautiful skirt with a corset and her traditional thick layer of make-up

Background imagePretend Collection: Three French women (pretending to be Spanish)

Three French women (pretending to be Spanish) pose in a photographic studio as musician, dancer and (male!) bullfighter !! Date: 1910s

Background imagePretend Collection: GIRLS & TOY PRAMS GIRLS & TOY PRAMS

GIRLS & TOY PRAMS GIRLS & TOY PRAMS
Two little girls dress up in scarves and gloves and pretend to be grown-up women, chatting in the street, pushing their dolls in prams. Date: 1940s

Background imagePretend Collection: Noahs Ark Bridge ove to Treasure Island at The British Empire Exhibition, Wembley Park

Noahs Ark Bridge ove to Treasure Island at The British Empire Exhibition, Wembley Park, London. Date: 1925

Background imagePretend Collection: Music cover, Pretend, Nat King Cole

Music cover, Pretend, Nat King Cole
Music cover, Pretend, by Lew Douglas, Cliff Parman and Frank Lavere, recorded by Nat King Cole. 1952

Background imagePretend Collection: Girl and doll having tea on a Christmas card

Girl and doll having tea on a Christmas card
Girl and doll at a table having tea on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Background imagePretend Collection: Ploumanac h, Brttany, France - the Tottering Rocks

Ploumanac h, Brttany, France - the Tottering Rocks
The Pink Granite Coast - Ploumanac h, Brttany, France - the Tottering Rocks. Note the trainee Istanbul porter...!!! Date: circa 1910s

Background imagePretend Collection: Playing school

Playing school
Two children (and their dog) line up their toys to play schools. Date: c.1920

Background imagePretend Collection: The Four Seasons, Spring, by John Hassall

The Four Seasons, Spring, by John Hassall
Children having lots of fun in the park, playing hoops, climbing trees and playing rounders. 1902

Background imagePretend Collection: Miss Evelyn Millard in The Adventure of Lady Ursula

Miss Evelyn Millard in The Adventure of Lady Ursula
The Adventure of Lady Ursula by Anthony Hope. First produced at the Duke of Yorks Theatre, London, on 11 October 1898, revival at the Garrick Theatre 5 January 1909

Background imagePretend Collection: Cartoon, The Little War, WW1

Cartoon, The Little War, WW1
Cartoon, The Little War. Children playing a war game. One of them tells his friend: Don t yell like that, you re supposed to be dead! Date: 1917

Background imagePretend Collection: Children dressing up 1890

Children dressing up 1890
Children in the atic dressing up and playing with broken toys. Date: Circa 1890

Background imagePretend Collection: Cartoon, Convalescent leave, WW1

Cartoon, Convalescent leave, WW1
Cartoon, Convalescent leave, showing two girls chatting to a little boy dressed as a soldier who has a bandage on his knee

Background imagePretend Collection: Cartoon, Mutiny, WW1

Cartoon, Mutiny, WW1
Cartoon, Mutiny -- French children playing war games, some of them representing the German enemy. They are in the Rue St Vincent, Montmartre, Paris, near the Sacre Coeur. Date: 1915

Background imagePretend Collection: Children playing schools

Children playing schools, with a teacher writing sums up on a blackboard. Date: circa 1930s

Background imagePretend Collection: Children play at tanks by Leslie Shaw

Children play at tanks by Leslie Shaw
We re not little wretches - we re the Tanks!" Two little boys, with heads in coal scuttles pretend to be tanks and scare their girl playmate. Date: 1917

Background imagePretend Collection: Soliders of the King, Children playing at war, WW1

Soliders of the King, Children playing at war, WW1
Charming illustration showing a line of little boys queuing up outside a recruiting office dressed up as soldiers with the imaginative use of a variety of boxes, flags, paper hats and borrowed items

Background imagePretend Collection: Children playing 1895

Children playing 1895
Three children pretend that they are on a horse and cart, using dining room chairs and a little horse on wheels as transport. Date: 1895

Background imagePretend Collection: Two European girls dressed as Geishas playing music

Two European girls dressed as Geishas playing music (on a Shamisen-style instrument) during the tea ceremony. Date: circa 1910s

Background imagePretend Collection: Two European girls dressed as Geishas enact the Tea Ceremony

Two European girls dressed as Geishas enact the Tea Ceremony Date: circa 1910s

Background imagePretend Collection: WW1 - Cute patriotic British postcard - emulating ancestors

WW1 - Cute patriotic British postcard - emulating ancestors
WW1 - Cute patriotic British postcard - a little boy strives to emulate the military feats of our ancestors, or in this case his elders! Date: circa 1916

Background imagePretend Collection: Russian Boys playing war games

Russian Boys playing war games
Two young Russian Boys take sides in this propaganda postcard from the First World War era, one pretending to be the valiant Russian Forces, fighting from behind their defences (foreground)

Background imagePretend Collection: Children dressing-up

Children dressing-up
Two little children dress-up, the girl in a lace bonnet and long dress, the boy in top hat and suit, as they look after their baby doll. Date: c. 1910

Background imagePretend Collection: Street music: A bird mimic, 1816

Street music: A bird mimic, 1816
A street musician who mimics the notes of common English birds by means of a folded bit of tin, which is held between the teeth; but in order to engage the attention of the credulous

Background imagePretend Collection: The Queen of Make-Believe by Richard B. Ogle

The Queen of Make-Believe by Richard B. Ogle
A small girl with a solemn expression sits on a throne in a long while dress, holding a sceptre while two toy soldiers stand guard either side of her. Date: 1925

Background imagePretend Collection: British Lesbian Wedding

British Lesbian Wedding - the blushing bride appears to be holding a bouquet of cabbage leaves. Date: circa 1910s

Background imagePretend Collection: Dollies wedding

Dollies wedding
A group of girls have a pretend wedding ceremony, playing the bride and groom, vicar and guesses. Date: 1882

Background imagePretend Collection: Giving Dolly a bath

Giving Dolly a bath
Two little girls washing their dolly in a bowl Date: 1882

Background imagePretend Collection: Children in their pirates cave

Children in their pirates cave
Pretending to be pirates Date: Circa 1880

Background imagePretend Collection: Three boys playing at Motoring

Three boys playing at Motoring - two drive their wooden pretend car, complete with strapped in seat, horn (s) and solid wooden wheels

Background imagePretend Collection: Two boys playing at riding a Carriage

Two boys playing at riding a Carriage. One urges on the team of four piebald hobby horses with a whip, while the other sends forth a blast on his horn announcing their departure. Date: circa 1910s

Background imagePretend Collection: Two illustrations, The Queen of the Pirate Isle

Two illustrations, The Queen of the Pirate Isle, showing (1) Polly riding on the back of her cousin Hickory Hunt, as they pretend to make for a desert island in a storm

Background imagePretend Collection: Three boys playing at Fox Hunting

Three boys playing at Fox Hunting, two on their hobby horses and one wearing a fox suit! They even have two dogs with them. Date: circa 1910s

Background imagePretend Collection: Four boys playing at Bullfighting

Four boys playing at Bullfighting. The dead wooden bull is dragged away by a team of two piebald rocking horses Date: circa 1910s



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