Dating old photographs is not always an easy process but, just occasionally, archivists get lucky. This is one of those times. We’re working on arranging and describing the Hall Family materials at the moment and this photograph shows Flossie Hall, who was born in Deseronto in 1887. At the time the photo was taken, she was working as a schoolteacher. She has helpfully written the name of the school on the blackboard behind her: School Section No. 10, Mariposa, Victoria County. Not only that, but Flossie thoughtfully wrote the date that the photograph was taken, too: Mar. 28, 1912, which was, like today, a Wednesday (you’ll see from a comment elsewhere on the board that Ray needed to work on his spelling!).

If you look above the heads of the children, you’ll see the school clock, frozen in time at 2.50pm. So for once, we know the exact moment when this photograph was taken. A rare occurrence!