In 2009 while visiting her home town, I visited the Minnesota Historical Center.
There was a slideshow going on in the lobby, and as I passed by, to my astonishment I saw pop up a faded photo of another family in a similar contraption.
After a bit of research I came to realize that this was no coincidence.
In pre-"selfie" days, it was a common novelty for children to be photographed by itinerant goatherd shutterbugs! So common that there's now more than one Pinterest page for it!
Though I can't promise more goatcards per se, check out this week's Sepia Saturday for more memories of times past.
How enjoyable. I never knew the goat cart was shuttled around for portraits of kids. Somehow (in Texas of course) there was a pony which came around and my portrait was taken on it...and I think one came to my kindergarten-age son's school once and he got a picture also. The goat carts are great!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post & a fun take on the theme. Like Barbara, I remember at least one photographer coming around our neighborhood with a dappled pony and my younger sister - probably around 4 years old at the time - having her picture taken on it dressed in cowgirl clothes provided, I'm guessing, by the photographer.
ReplyDeleteWell wuddayaknow ~ And here I am without a single goat photo. My family was short-changed.
ReplyDeleteI need, yes NEED, a goat cart for my morning .8 mile commute to work.
ReplyDeleteMarvelous set of snaps. I never saw a goat cart but many pony photos show up in my old family pix.
ReplyDeleteNo goat-pulled wagon shots in my family, either...I'm feeling deprived! These are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThe goat in the first photo looks identical to the one in your mother's photo. I've been fascinated with goat cart photos and wondered how the fad for these children portraits got started. Perhaps it was connected to county fairs or traveling carnivals.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful set of photographs.
ReplyDeleteThese are great! I am partial to the extra shaggy goats. :) Some kids look serious, some look amused...I laughed at the one with the baby in the cart and the girl straddling the goat... both kids have that "Please, can we stop now?" look on their faces. lol.
ReplyDeleteAmazing photos. I had never seen anything like it...before. :-)
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