Children in the Studio
Have you ever thought about how quickly children grow up? The universal acknowledgement of the fleeting nature of childhood was as powerful in Hugh Morrison Jr.'s day as it is today. Then, as now, parents thought photography was a good way to capture images of their children in different stages of their lives. For this reason, children's portraiture was a common theme in the Morrison Studio. Of the thousands of portraits he made, many are of children or families with children.    

Ward and Ruth Holsinger's daughter Anna was born in Toms Brook on March 27, 1932. The couple, farmers who later moved to Mt. Olive, celebrated the event with a trip to the Morrison Studio. Hugh Morrison Jr. took the next formal portrait of Anna when she was a toddler. In this image, the little girl appears with a clown toy that is seen in other Morrison photographs. The third photograph shown here was taken around 1937 or 1938; it shows Anna with her sister Kathy.

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Ward and Ruth Holsinger's daughter Anna was born in Toms Brook on March 27, 1932. The couple, farmers who later moved to Mt. Olive, celebrated the event with a trip to the Morrison Studio. Hugh Morrison Jr. took the next formal portrait of Anna when she was a toddler. In this image, the little girl appears with a clown toy that is seen in other Morrison photographs. The third photograph shown here was taken around 1937 or 1938; it shows Anna with her sister Kathy.

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Ward and Ruth Holsinger's daughter Anna was born in Toms Brook on March 27, 1932. The couple, farmers who later moved to Mt. Olive, celebrated the event with a trip to the Morrison Studio. Hugh Morrison Jr. took the next formal portrait of Anna when she was a toddler. In this image, the little girl appears with a clown toy that is seen in other Morrison photographs. The third photograph shown here was taken around 1937 or 1938; it shows Anna with her sister Kathy.

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The little boy in this image appears to be wearing a dress, but that was common attire for toddlers in his day. Hope Mooney (1910-1962) was the only son of James and Minnie Mooney; their portrait to celebrate a wedding anniversary is also included in this exhibition. Four years after this portrait was taken, typhoid fever claimed the life of Hope's mother. Hope Mooney grew up to marry Geneva Catherine Turner in 1936, and the couple had four children. Mooney served in the Civilian Conservation Corps and the U.S. Army and was a carpenter and construction superintendent.
Morrison Jr.'s artistry and skill at photographing infants are evident here. His decision to pose baby Janita Grandstaff (b.1937) in the corner of this chair was inspired; note how this prop, turned at an angle, draws our attention to Janita. Meanwhile, she seems to be seriously assessing her photographer. The result is this engaging image. Janita was born in Fort Valley, Virginia. The oldest child of Charles Edgar and Ethel Rebecca Clem Grandstaff, she grew up in Shenandoah County, Virginia.
Hugh Morrison Jr. appears to have been able to put children completely at ease in front of his camera. Here, Phyllis Seal (b.1943) seems to be relaxed and coolly observing her photographer. With the majority of Morrison's photographs, dates are approximate. We know exactly when this image was taken, however: Phyllis was aged 13 months and two days when she sat for this photograph. The daughter of Charles and Hazel Foltz Seal, whose portrait is also included in this exhibition, Phyllis was born in Shenandoah County. She continues to live there today and volunteers for the Morrison Studio Project.
Nancye Bowman (b.1925) volunteers for the Morrison Studio Project. One day while working with a group of negatives, she discovered her own baby pictures. She also found those of her first cousin, Jack Dunny Wightman (1923-2000). In one images, Jack is riding the toy horse displayed in this exhibition. Because the negative were found in the same box, Nancye believe her mother Blanche Bowman, and aunt, Resa B. Wightman, together took their children to the Morrison Studio. Jack married Virginia Miller and they raised two children in Edinburg, Virginia. Nancye became a teacher, worked for the American Home Economics Association, and still lives on the Bowman family farm where she was born.

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Nancye Bowman (b.1925) volunteers for the Morrison Studio Project. One day while working with a group of negatives, she discovered her own baby pictures. She also found those of her first cousin, Jack Dunny Wightman (1923-2000). In one images, Jack is riding the toy horse displayed in this exhibition. Because the negative were found in the same box, Nancye believe her mother Blanche Bowman, and aunt, Resa B. Wightman, together took their children to the Morrison Studio. Jack married Virginia Miller and they raised two children in Edinburg, Virginia. Nancye became a teacher, worked for the American Home Economics Association, and still lives on the Bowman family farm where she was born.

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Nancye Bowman (b.1925) volunteers for the Morrison Studio Project. One day while working with a group of negatives, she discovered her own baby pictures. She also found those of her first cousin, Jack Dunny Wightman (1923-2000). In one images, Jack is riding the toy horse displayed in this exhibition. Because the negative were found in the same box, Nancye believe her mother Blanche Bowman, and aunt, Resa B. Wightman, together took their children to the Morrison Studio. Jack married Virginia Miller and they raised two children in Edinburg, Virginia. Nancye became a teacher, worked for the American Home Economics Association, and still lives on the Bowman family farm where she was born.

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Nancye Bowman (b.1925) volunteers for the Morrison Studio Project. One day while working with a group of negatives, she discovered her own baby pictures. She also found those of her first cousin, Jack Dunny Wightman (1923-2000). In one images, Jack is riding the toy horse displayed in this exhibition. Because the negative were found in the same box, Nancye believe her mother Blanche Bowman, and aunt, Resa B. Wightman, together took their children to the Morrison Studio. Jack married Virginia Miller and they raised two children in Edinburg, Virginia. Nancye became a teacher, worked for the American Home Economics Association, and still lives on the Bowman family farm where she was born.

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Hugh Morrison captured the personalities of his adult customers through positioning, lighting, and props, and he did the same for his younger sitters. In fact, Morrison accomplished the task of photographing young people with ease. Rarely do we see babies and children who appear unhappy in his images. At the very least, they seem curious about the camera and man behind it.

Morrison's skill at photographing children was likely influenced by the fact he was a father of ten. The toy horse and dog in the images on this panel suggest that he was practiced in connecting with children and knew the value of having toys available for props. Morrison also wisely understood the value of having a family member close at hand. In some images that are not cropped, a person is visible behind a prop or curtain, where he or she is attempting to hide while keeping the child steady and calm for the camera.

Photo Gallery
These images below are scans of glass-plate negatives taken by Morrison. Some of these images show areas of damage that have occurred over time. Others include distracting elements that Morrison likely would have cropped in a finished photograph, such as glimpses of equipment or props. Many images show numbers that have been added by the Shenandoah County Historical Society for archival records. Today the names of many of the people in the images taken by Hugh Morrison Jr. are unknown. Each image in this gallery speaks of his skill, and together they provide a window into half a century of Shenandoah County history and culture. Click on the thumbnails below to enlarge the images. To exit the gallery, click on the image.

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Inside the Studio | Children in the Studio | The Art of the Sitting


Generous exhibition underwriting provided by Shentel.  Online exhibition made possible by the Wise Foundation.
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