A Family of Eleven Watches the Birdie

From the John Holly Williams Collection, LLF

"A copy of a family photo was made for L B Herring in November 1945." -- Library caption.

I wish I could present this one full-sized, as a close up reveals even more, including the hand painted faces on the dolls being held by the two younger girls.  I would guesstimate that this photo was taken in the late 1800s, early 1900s.

I grew curious about the "Watch the Birdie" expression that has been around in photography for ages and found this photographer's website that explains the history of distracting impatient subjects while the photographer did his magic behind the camera.  If you're curious to read more, click on this link.