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The Bright Young People - mock Rayner-Ponsonby weddingA 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
The Party by Muriel DawsonA little girl in a pink dress entertains her toys with a tea party in her playroom
Monkey driving a toy carA rather surreal photograph of a monkey driving a model vintage car
Two Babies by Muriel Dawson -- a little girl in a red dress has been bathing her doll. Date: 1930
Bonzo palms the pill by George StuddyBonzo palms the pill -- he is given a pill, but only pretends to take it. George Ernest Studdy (1878-1948), was the creator of Bonzo
Queen Mother visiting London evacuees at Horsted Keynes, 1939The Queen Mother(1900-2002) with evacuated children from Battersea. A little four year old girl called Shirely here is playing " mothers"
German U-BoatsTerrified by German U-boats, the English pretend to be neutral (the Norwegian and British merchant navy flags are conveniently similar !)
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
Rock a Bye Baby by Muriel DawsonA little girl in a charming sun hat, sits in a hammock and rocks her doll to sleep
Water Babies by Muriel DawsonA little girl in in a bath tub makes sure that her dolly is clean too. Date: c.1925
Human models pretending to be a marble statueA pair of nude (mostly) human models pretending to be a marble statues, complete with rocky plinth! Date: circa 1910s
Comic postcard, Two boys playing at soldiers, WW2 Date: circa 1940s
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
Woman perched on a wooden donkey at the seaside, with a pier in the background (unknown location) c. 1925
Holding up the pillarThree 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
Queen Elizabeth I dancing in her Palace in all her fineryQueen 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
Three French women (pretending to be Spanish) pose in a photographic studio as musician, dancer and (male!) bullfighter !! Date: 1910s
GIRLS & TOY PRAMS GIRLS & TOY PRAMSTwo 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
Noahs Ark Bridge ove to Treasure Island at The British Empire Exhibition, Wembley Park, London. Date: 1925
Music cover, Pretend, Nat King ColeMusic cover, Pretend, by Lew Douglas, Cliff Parman and Frank Lavere, recorded by Nat King Cole. 1952
Girl and doll having tea on a Christmas cardGirl and doll at a table having tea on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s
Ploumanac h, Brttany, France - the Tottering RocksThe Pink Granite Coast - Ploumanac h, Brttany, France - the Tottering Rocks. Note the trainee Istanbul porter...!!! Date: circa 1910s
British Lesbian Wedding - the blushing bride appears to be holding a bouquet of cabbage leaves. Date: circa 1910s
Playing schoolTwo children (and their dog) line up their toys to play schools. Date: c.1920
The Four Seasons, Spring, by John HassallChildren having lots of fun in the park, playing hoops, climbing trees and playing rounders. 1902
Miss Evelyn Millard in The Adventure of Lady UrsulaThe 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
Cartoon, The Little War, WW1Cartoon, 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
Children dressing up 1890Children in the atic dressing up and playing with broken toys. Date: Circa 1890
Cartoon, Convalescent leave, WW1Cartoon, Convalescent leave, showing two girls chatting to a little boy dressed as a soldier who has a bandage on his knee
Cartoon, Mutiny, WW1Cartoon, 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
Children playing schools, with a teacher writing sums up on a blackboard. Date: circa 1930s
Children play at tanks by Leslie ShawWe 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
Soliders of the King, Children playing at war, WW1Charming 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
Children playing 1895Three children pretend that they are on a horse and cart, using dining room chairs and a little horse on wheels as transport. Date: 1895
Two European girls dressed as Geishas playing music (on a Shamisen-style instrument) during the tea ceremony. Date: circa 1910s
Two European girls dressed as Geishas enact the Tea Ceremony Date: circa 1910s
WW1 - Cute patriotic British postcard - emulating ancestorsWW1 - 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
Russian Boys playing war gamesTwo 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)
Children dressing-upTwo 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
Street music: A bird mimic, 1816A 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
The Queen of Make-Believe by Richard B. OgleA 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
Dollies weddingA group of girls have a pretend wedding ceremony, playing the bride and groom, vicar and guesses. Date: 1882
Giving Dolly a bathTwo little girls washing their dolly in a bowl Date: 1882
Children in their pirates cavePretending to be pirates Date: Circa 1880
Three boys playing at Motoring - two drive their wooden pretend car, complete with strapped in seat, horn (s) and solid wooden wheels
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
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
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
Four boys playing at Bullfighting. The dead wooden bull is dragged away by a team of two piebald rocking horses Date: circa 1910s
Initiation of the Private SecretaryCeremonial initiation consisting of the enactment of a heated discussion between two Brothers pretending to be Salomon and the King of Tyr. 1890s
Initiation of the Prince of JersualemWearing pretend beards, the Brothers reward the recipients dedication on a recent mission with kisses and a golden crown made of paper. Date: 1890s
The beggars of New YorkCynical view of New York beggars who apparently pretend to be blind and hire babies to attract more sympathy, then go home or to the nearest eatery for a slap-up dinner. Date: 1886
Game / Playing Shop C1890Children playing at shops with the help of two chairs and a tablecloth. Date: circa 1890
Children in Nursery 1905Children playing games in the nursery; a boy pretends his two little sisters are horses! circa 1905
Children WalkersA little boy playing in the nursery turns his younger brothers in their baby walkers into horses, just for fun. Date: late 19th century
Now then, John, whip them orse up or we shan t catch the tSimple wooden box on wheels turns into a horse a cart with a little bit of a childs emagination. Date: 1897
Off to Market by Muriel DawsonA sweet little girl in an orange dress, carries a brightly striped umbrella and a blue basket on her way to market
My Tea Party by Muriel DawsonA small blonde girl enjoys playing with a toy tea set. A tiny toy soldier on the other side of the table appears to be her only guest
Tea Time by Muriel DawsonA little girl with blonde hair sits in a chair and solemnly feeds her baby doll
The tea party by Susan Beatrice PearseTwo little girls sit down solemnly to a tea party accompanied by their pet dog and several dolls
The Army and Navy by John HassallA group of ragamuffin children play at soldiers by using various bits of home hardware such as buckets and brushes as their armour and weaponry
Playing at Indians by May SmithA group of children play at being native American Indians while camping in a woodland glade
Children play with pretend Motor CarTwo young children convert the family wheelbarrow into a far more exciting pretend Motor Car. Here they are loading up the oil
Little girl playing with toy tea setA pretty young girl pouring herself a cup of pretend tea using a bright orange plastic tea set. Photograph by Heinz Zinram
Pretended rabbit breeder Mary ToftsUndated photograph of engraving of pretend rabbit-breeder Mary Tofts. HPG/1/13/2 (xviii)
Pretend Rabbit BreederDepiction of Mary Tofts, supposedly giving birth to rabbits
Sham German TanksForbidden real tanks under the terms of the Versailles peace treaty the German army parades & manoeuvres with sham ones
Soldiers Dog MournsA German Shepherd Dog lies above the grave of its master, a casualty of World War One
Playing Cobblers ShopThree children pretend to be in a cobblers shop
Seance DeviceFour spiritualists try a new method of communicating with the spirits, using a metal plate and electrical controls in a way I don t pretend to understand (text in Swedish)
