Spotlight On ... Three Brothers and Three Dogs

This is another of my "Spotlight" posts - a way of sharing precious family photos that capture wonderful moments in time, but often those moments have no context and no story attached to them.

Family historians know that feeling, when a wonderful old photograph has no caption, no note in the album, and no one left from that generation to ask "What was happening here?".  

Yet even a "silent" picture can speak volumes when we look closely, delve deeply and make every effort to set it within our family context.  This is one of those photos:

Connors Brothers
Photo shared by Keith Connors (my cousin)
Keith's father is on the right

It's a particular favourite of mine.  At first glance, you can see three young men - my paternal uncles - seated in a neat row on wooden chairs, outdoors, against a backdrop of vines and a timber verandah.  A blanket has been laid on the ground in front, which tells me this wasn't a casual snap but a carefully staged family portrait, likely taken to mark a very special day for the Connors family. 

Who's who (left to right)?

• Thomas Richard "Tommy" Connors (left): looking very dapper with a short back-and-sides haircut; sporting a jacket over shorts; a detachable-style collar with a bow tie; knee socks and lace-up ankle boots.

• George Thomas Connors Jnr. (middle):  youthful George, named after his father, wearing a short-pants suit; long socks with turnovers / garters; and high lace-up boots.

• Colin Vincent Connors (right):  looking cool and confident with fuller, swept hair; a suit with a soft detachable collar and necktie; and lace-up boots.

Dating the Photograph

These young men were the eldest sons of my paternal grandparents, George Thomas Connors and Grace Olive Brown.  After these three, there was a seven-year gap before another son, Leo, was born in 1921 - heart-breakingly, he died in infancy.  Three years later, twin sons arrived in 1924 - my father Bede William and his twin brother Reginald Frederick Connors.

Those milestones help bracket the likely date of this picture.

The young men are dressed to the nines - short-pants suits, smart collars, polished boots - suggesting a significant occasion.  It's easy to imagine them about to head off to church ... perhaps for their newborn brothers' baptism in late 1924, or perhaps a relative's wedding, like their cousin George Thomas Bates's wedding in mid 1925.  

On balance, I cautiously date the photo to 1924 or 1925.  If so, their ages would be approximately:

• Thomas Richard (Tommy): 13 - 14
• George Thomas Jnr.:  10 - 11
• Colin Vincent:  16 - 17

The Dogs That Stole The Scene

What I love most about this family photo though, is the unexpected presence of the dogs.  This is a rare photo in my family tree album, as it is the only one where beloved family pets are captured in a candid family photo.  

The dogs have quietly slipped into the composition and settled themselves at the brothers' feet - as if they knew something important was happening and wanted to stay close to their "pack".  George, seated in the middle, appears to be the only one without a canine companion in the frame; two dogs are nestled up near Tommy and the other dog is attempting to sit in Colin's lap.  Obviously that's not the done thing when you're all suited up ready for a special family event!

With athletic builds and alert ears, these dogs look every inch the working-dog types - perhaps kelpies or cattle dog mixes - confident, calm, and clearly well handled.  Their inclusion transforms this picture from a formal family record into a warm glimpse daily life:  good clothes for a big day, but still very much a household where dogs were family too.

To end this post, I'm adding a touching video created with the Live Memory tool on the My Heritage website.  It's really remarkable seeing the photo literally 'come to life' and witness what might have happened in that moment:

Special Note To Family Members:  If you have heard family stories or memories about this photograph that could narrow the date or confirm the occasion, I'd love to hear from you.  Even a small clue - a baptism notice, a family wedding invitation, or a remembered detail about the dogs - could you help turn this "silent" picture into a fully captioned chapter in the Connors family story.