Ear trumpets and grannies
I found this picture on a website about Samuel Greg Junior – son of Samuel Greg from Quarry Bank Mill. I loved this photo of Mary Greg (was Mary Priscilla Needham) who was his wife (they married in 1838 and had 2 sons and 6 daughters), and mother of Amy Greg sitting beside her. Is this the grandmother and mother of our Mary? I absolutely love Mary Priscilla’s ear trumpet. Does it survive in our Mary’s collection? I really want to find an ear trumpet now. What a useful tool.
Actually, it reminds me of a seminar we went to last week about mental health and schizophrenia: we did an exercise about hearing voices, and I had to speak through a makeshift ear trumpet.
http://happy-valley.org.uk/history/people-greg.htm
[…] c.1890-1920. Ethel Anderson listens to a friend using her silver, moonstone-encrusted ear trumpet Mary Greg (was Mary Priscilla Needham) and daughter Amy Greg sitting beside her. 19th century format salt print portrait Photograph of woman with conversation tube, […]
There’s a fabulous case of ear trumpets at Thackray Museum in Leeds.
What a wonderful find.