A circa 1910's vintage photograph is a hot topic of discussion lately on the web. It features a young Parisian woman posing for a photo in her garden while enjoying a serene moment. It seems like a quaint scene, but looking closely you will see her splendid cat and even closer, some interesting plants. Since plants interest us deeply, we investigated further to learn the story behind the photo.
Sitting in her lush garden in 1910's France, was recently updated to 1915 through a close up taken of the newspaper she is holding and then researched by Steampunk Tendencies. The publication, Le Mirroir, was a weekly photographic newspaper devoted to World War I. By enlarging on the newspaper they could see that this is the edition of Sunday August 15, 1915. It was, therefore deduced that this photo was taken that day or after.
Her companions include a fluffy feline perched on a pedestal and a caged bird. Keeping songbirds as pets is a hobby as old as the ancient Sumerians, but small home aviaries became a status symbol in the 1800's and early 1900's. Likely, this young lady enjoyed the company of her birds as a way to connect with nature.
Interestingly enough, the young woman's garden companions not only feature animals, but several cannabis plants as well! It could be that the unique leaves and vibrant foliage were sought after as a garden plant. Or, it may be that the young woman or her family were utilizing the medicinal properties of the cannabis plant to treat any one of a number of ailments.
Source: SteampunkTendencies.com