harrytempest

Those are huge hats.

They really are! From your great and vivid description of Montreal, don't think anyone would look twice there at someone swanning around in such amazing millinery contraptions...

I adore you, person who wrote this comment ;-) And you're right, this is a city that lets you be whoever you are, you and your hat. But back to this photo, I was thinking that the sheer massive surface area of the hat prevented glare so the ladies could line up their shots.

I'm more looking at the structure of that garment--is she wearing wide-legged pants? Why does the waist look so large around her? Maybe some kind of specialized golf trousers (like the very very large hats for the purpose)? These could be her equivalent of "gym clothes."

Had wondered initially if they were some sort of culottes with a wrap-around overskirt, but still think it was a little early for respectable ladies to wear anything even vaguely resembling trousers... Any clothing (or early sporting) experts out there, please feel to weigh in.

That gentleman on the right with the languid pose and the cigar was about to make rabbits ears for the lady in the light coloured dress! The bounder!!!

William Tempest's wife Jane Emily Backhouse, had a sister Alice Gertrude Backhouse. She married Hewston Maxwell Williamson. Since this picture is in the Tempest collection, I would assume that this is a combined family picnic, hosted by the Williamson family. Hewston Maxwell Williamston seems to have been a been a merchant in Dundalk (his father was Thomas Williamson, Timber Merchant)

Jennigal923 Fantastically detailed genealogical information - thank you! So Thomas and Maxwell and Alice could very well be in this photo, and maybe Jane Tempest, née Backhouse too?

Perhaps!! Sadly I don't know their faces, so couldn't tell. I do think that William Tempest may be the older gentleman on the family gatherings, outside (one for tea and another for lunch). You also have a picture of "father with Norah and Elizabeth". William had daughter's named Norah Souttar Tempest and Mary Elizabeth Tempest, so more family members identified?

Jennigal923 You are now our official Tempest expert-in-residence!

Beautiful Capture!

How times change...Wow!

Fabio >>>>>E & family/friends>>>> I'd like to see what contraption they were going to use to get a heavy bag of sand home with them...

National Library of Ireland on The Commons That, will be worth another great photo!!

maybe a sandbox for the children? I doubt it.. but I would like to think that is what it was for. Would have been heavy for sure!