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Continuing our visit to Takoma Park, Maryland, circa 1895, we find Helen and Willard Douglas taking their ease Snoopy-style at the family compound, which seems to be equipped with accommodations for poultry as well as laundry. 5x7 glass negative by Edward M. Douglas. View full size.
We live in a rural-ish area and keep chickens. We also have six children. Lately it seems that whenever I check on what the kids are doing, one or two of them are on top of the hen house. They're just sitting or lying there much like the children in this photo. Because of the way our hen house is constructed they don't need a ladder to get up there and I don't think there's much chance of them falling off but I usually call them down anyway out of a vague feeing that one shouldn't let one's children hang out on a roof. Personally, I don't see the attraction. It can't be very comfortable and this time of year it's hot. But if kids were doing this 120 years ago I guess I'll just accept it as innate behavior.
Note the dovecote on the right.
But that ladder seems to lack a single safety advisory sticker, which may explain why it was not placed perfectly perpendicular to the eave.
"If you fall off that roof and break your legs, don't come running to me!"
I guess since she stayed on the property she could wear her brother's pants to climb on the roof rather than her dress for climbing trees. Awesome photographs.
The period just after sunrise or before sunset when the lighting angle is low is generally the best time to take evocative photos. These Tacoma Park pictures are excellent examples.
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