Mrs Pitt's baby

A pencilled inscription verso reads simply 'Mrs Pitt,' which is presumably the name of the baby's mother.

A small printed paper label pasted to the reverse of the mount reads 'Painted by Miss Bond / 1, Oakley Place / Southsea / Under the patronage of / H.M. the Queen & Royal Family.'

Elizabeth Sarah Bond was born in or about 1820 at Alresford in Hampshire; her father was a ‘merchant (wholesale cotton),’ and her husband was a ‘commercial traveller,’ according to the 1851 census.

She appears on the 1861 census, a widowed ‘Teacher of Music’ living with her elderly mother Emily Ann Stevenson, a ‘Fundholder.’ and her 15-year-old daughter, also called Elizabeth, at 5 Park Place, Southsea.

Ten years later, the two Elizabeths, mother and daughter, were living together at 106 Wish Street, Southsea. Both women gave ‘Artist’ as their profession.

The younger Elizabeth died, aged 36, on 11 March 1878 at Park Lodge, Southsea.

When the census was taken in 1881 the older Elizabeth, now boarding at 38 Brougham Road in Southsea, gave ‘Artist (Photo painter)’ as her profession. The head of the household, Lavinia Jenkins, was also an ‘Artist (Photo painter).’

By 1891 Lavinia was ‘Living on [her] own means’ at Compton Gifford near Plymouth in Devon. Visiting her at the time of the census was Elizabeth S. Bond, aged 71, also now ‘Living on [her] own means.’

She is possibly the Elizabeth Sarah Bond who died, aged 77, on 19 March 1897 at 172 Devonshire Road, Forest Hill, Lewisham, Kent. She left an estate valued at £2921.

Photographed by Moira and Haigh of London.