Child Hood Collection

Farrier, Cambridgeshire a98_10862
Soham, Cambridgeshire. A blacksmith, or farrier, shoeing a horse with a young boy looking on. Traditional skills and crafts are learned by starting young and through generations of experience

Homeward by Muriel Dawson
Back view of two children, arms around each other, making their way home laden with buttercups picked in the fields

Children in the snow a054098
HALIFAX, West Yorkshire. A view showing a group of children sledging down a snow covered road. Date range 1962-1978. John Gay

Comptometer Room, Stratford Cooperative Society 1914 BL22762
STRATFORD CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY, Maryland Street, Stratford, Greater London. Interior view of the Comptometer Room at Stratford Co-operative Society

Charles Darwin and his son N990002
DOWN HOUSE, Downe, Kent. Daguerreotype photograph of Charles Darwin and his eldest son, William Erasmus Darwin - 1842

Spring Flowers by Muriel Dawson
A little girl in a blue smock dress carries a bunch of daffodils and a twig of spring blossom

Sharples - Charles Darwin (aged six) and Catherine K971925
DOWN HOUSE, Downe, Kent. Darwin Heirlooms Trust. " Charles Darwin (aged six) and Catherine " by Sharples. Charles Darwin and his sister. c 1816

Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens
Illustration showing the statue of Peter Pan, sculpted by Sir George Frampton and erected in Kensington Gardens, London, on 1 May 1912. Date: c.1920

Wright - Dressing the Kitten J960062
KENWOOD HOUSE, London. " Dressing the Kitten " c1768-70 by Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-1797)

Children labelling tins of tea c. 1910, Butlers Wharf BB87_09690
BUTLERs WHARF, Shad Thames, London. From 1921 children had to be at least 12 years old before they could work full-time, though some of these boys look younger

Half Way Home by Muriel Dawson
Two children with baskets filled with wild flowers pause for a moment and sit on a gate during a walk home

Blackpool Beach a047930
BLACKPOOL, Lancashire. Informal holiday portrait showing rear view of a family with two small daughters paddling in the sea, with Blackpool Tower in the background (mid-20th century). John Gay

Whitestone Pond, Hampstead Heath a071818
WHITESTONE POND, Hampstead Heath, London. View of a boy lying down on the edge of the pond with his hand holding a model yacht on the water

Souvenir dolls in traditional Hungarian costumes, Budapest, Hungary, Europe

Desperate Dan statue, Dundee, Scotland

Play the Game Football book cover
Front cover of a book depicting a young boy kicking a football on the front cover. Date: c.1941

The Days Work by Muriel Dawson
A little boy in dungarees or overalls and with a wide brimmed hat stands on the end of a jetty fishing with a makeshift rod and line. Swans fly overhead

Portscatho Harbour, Cornwall OP04507
PORTSCATHO HARBOUR, Gerrans, Cornwall. A young boy looking down towards tethered boats in the harbour at Portscatho. Photographed by John Gay during 1950s-1960s

Early 12th Century Frescoes in Bet Maryam, St. Marys Church, Lalibela, Ethiopia, Africa

Highgate Ponds, Hampstead Heath a071915
HIGHGATE PONDS, Hampstead Heath, Greater London. Three boys standing watching a model yacht being launched on one of the Highgate Ponds by a boy lying on his front reaching over the water. John Gay

Emma Darwin and son Leonard K970227
DOWN HOUSE, Kent. Photograph of Emma Darwin and son Leonard c1854

Anne Elizabeth Darwin N990003
DOWN HOUSE, Downe, Kent. Daguerreotype photograph of Anne Elizabeth Darwin ( Annie ) 1849

Mothers Gardener by Muriel Dawson
Charming illustration of a small girl in a white dress and pink sun hat carefully watering a lovely border of flowers in a garden. c.1925

Tatler front cover featuring Princess Elizabeth & Margaret o
Front cover of The Tatler featuring the fourteenth birthday picture of Princess Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth II) together with her sister, Princess Margaret Rose

Tresco Children sculpture by David Wynne, in the sub-tropical gardens, Island of Tresco, Isles of Scilly, England, United Kingdom, Europe

MURILLO, Bartolom項steban (1617-1682). The Guardian
MURILLO, Bartolom項 steban (1617-1682). The Guardian Angel. c. 1665. SPAIN. Sevilla. Cathedral. Baroque art. Oil on canvas

Breakfast by Muriel Dawson
A jolly little girl with brown hair and eyes sips from a mug decorated with a painting of a cockerel

The Scout magazine, Special Hobbies and Model-Making Number
Front cover of The Scout magazine, " The Only Weekly Official Organ of the Boy Scouts". As this particular issue is the Special Hobbies and Model-Making number

White Conduit Street, Islington FF003132
WHITE CONDUIT STREET, Islington, London. A line of children hold hands as they walk along the middle of White Conduit Street towards the junction with Chapel Market in Islington

William Erasmus Darwin N990005
DOWN HOUSE, Kent. Daguerreotype photograph of of William Erasmus Darwin in 1849

Children pose for the camera a97_05492
A thatched cottage, Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire. A group of people pose for the camera in front of thatched cottages. Photographed by Alfred Newton and Son 1904

Gainsborough - Two Shepherd Boys with Two Dogs Fighting J920222
KENWOOD HOUSE, THE IVEAGH BEQUEST, London. " Two Shepherd Boys with Two Dogs Fighting " c1783 by Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788)

Peter Pan statue arrives in Kensington Gardens
Photograph from the ILN announcing the arrival of the statue of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, by Sir George Frampton, which appeared magically one morning (1 May 1912) with no formal unveiling

The Fat Boy of Peckham and his father
John Trundley, or sometimes, Trunley (1898 - 1944), known as the Fat Boy of Peckham appearing with his father on the front cover of The Tatler magazine in 1903 when he was aged five

The Rules of Life by H. M. Bateman
A baby in a highchair is presented with a long list of rules for life by a queue of influential people including his nurse, his parents, teacher, police officer, judge and vicar. Date: 1930

Charles I and Prince Charles J900213
MARBLE HILL HOUSE, Richmond-upon-Thames, Greater London. " King Charles I and Prince Charles" (later Charles II) after Sir Anthony VAN DYCK (1599-1641). Painting oil on canvas

Little Miss Natty Fingers by Muriel Dawson
A little girl concentrates on a garment she is sewing, presumably for the doll which sits next to her. An interesting basket full of sewing paraphenalia spills over beside her

Dandelion Clock by Muriel Dawson
Charming illustration of a small child, probably a little boy in blue smock and shorts seated on a small tuffet of grass and blowing a dandelion clock while clutching a favourite doll in his other

The Callers by Muriel Dawson
A little girl in a summer dress and sun bonnet knocks at a door and waits, with her doll in a toy pram, for it to be answered

Piano playing
A small boy sits at a piano and practises his scales conscientiously

George Darwin N990004
DOWN HOUSE, Kent. Daguerreotype photograph of George Darwin, aged 6 years, in 1851

Henrietta Darwin K990862
DOWN HOUSE, Kent. Daguerreotype photograph of Henrietta Darwin. Although labelled as 1861 the photograph was taken in 1851 when Henrietta was in mourning for her sister Annie

SOROLLA, Joaqu�(1863-1923). After the Bath
SOROLLA, Joaqu� (1863-1923). After the Bath. 1915. Oil on canvas. SPAIN. Madrid. Sorolla Museum

SOROLLA, Joaqu�(1863-1923). White Horse. 1909
SOROLLA, Joaqu´┐¢(1863-1923). White Horse. 1909. Post-Impressionism. Oil on canvas. SPAIN. Madrid. Sorolla Museum

Princess Elizabeth and corgis
Princess Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth II) pictured at her childhood home of 145 Piccadilly playing with the familys corgis. Date: 1936

Princess Elizabeth at the Bath Club
Princess Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth II) pictured in a swimming costume at the Bath Club. Date: c.1938

Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Lady Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (1900-2002), later Duchess of York, Queen Elizabeth and then Queen Mother (to Queen Elizabeth II). Wife of King George VI. Pictured at the age of seven

Annie Oakley in London, Born in Darke County, Ohio, August 13th 1860, she died in Greenville Ohio, November 3rd, 1926 and buried at Brock. Ohio cemetery, near her childhood home

Strictly Confiential by Muriel Dawson
A little boy and girl sit together on a bench, the boys arm around the girl as they discuss secrets

Wild Flowers by Muriel Dawson
Two little girls walk together through a field of wild flowers

Wind Blown by Muriel Dawson
A little girl in a coat and hat picks nuts from the branches of a tree which is rapidly losing its leaves in the autumnal breeze

Rat Tat Tat by Muriel Dawson
A sweet and engaging little girl in a red dress and wide-brimmed sun hat, opens a door using an old-fashioned latch

Two Little Lambs by Muriel Dawson
Charming back view of a little girl in a checked dress and green hat, her small stature accentuated by the size of the lamb she stands next to

Sand Pies by Muriel Dawson
A small blonde girl in a sunsuit and sun bonnet studiously mixes sand in a bucket

Small girl in a pedal car
A little girl grins for the camera as she poses in a sleek and speedy looking pedal sports car somewhere close to the sea, as evidenced by the deckchairs in the background, lining the promenade

Boy Jesus in Temple
Taken to the Temple, the boy Jesus astonishes the priests by his knowledge of the scriptures

Flight to Egypt
Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus flee to Egypt to escape the jealousy of Herod

Battledore & shuttlecock by Susan Beatrice Pearse
Two little girls play battledore and shuttlecock, or badminton on a fine summers day

Souvenir dolls in traditional Hungarian costumes, Budapest, Hungary, Europe

Liquorice sweets on a cup and saucer

Infants playground, Lambeth Schools, West Norwood, London
Infants (girls and boys together) at play at the Lambeth Schools for workhouse children on Elder Road, West Norwood, South London. A young Charlie Chaplin was briefly a resident of the Schools in 1898

The Choristers by Muriel Dawson
Two sweet little girls stand together and sing from song books, accompanied by chirping birds on a tree branch behind them

Off to Fairyland by Muriel Dawson
A small child engrossed in a huge book of fairy tales

The Butterfly by Muriel Dawson
A little girl, knee deep in a field of wild flowers, picks some to make a charming bunch on which a Red Admiral butterfly lingers

One o Clock, Two o Clock by Muriel Dawson
A little girl sits in a field accompanied by her pet dog and blows a dandelion clock

An 8-year old girl reading, France, Europe

Little boy playing with model plane

Toy duck floating on water

Boy and toy aeroplane by David Wright
Portrait of a young boy contemplating a toy aeroplane by David Wright, best known as Britains foremost pin-up artist during World War II. Date: 1944

Jesus Learns Carpentry
Joseph shows the boy Jesus the trade of carpentry

Jesus Presented to God
The infant Jesus is presented in the temple; Simeon, a righteous man, and Anna, a prophetess, praise God

Raeburn - Sir George Sinclair as a Boy J870221
KENWOOD HOUSE, THE IVEAGH BEQUEST, London. " Sir George Sinclair as a Boy" by Sir Henry Raeburn (1756-1823)

The Three Eldest Children of Charles I J920099
KENWOOD HOUSE, SUFFOLK COLLECTION, London. " The Three Eldest Children of Charles I" c.1635 after Sir Anthony van Dyck. (L-R) Prince Charles, later King Charles II

Queen Victoria and Prince Edward D880044
OSBORNE HOUSE, Isle of Wight. The Ryde Album. Queen Victoria and her great-grandson Prince Edward (1894-1972). The young prince was later to become Prince of Wales

Romney - Miss Martindale J910504
KENWOOD HOUSE, THE IVEAGH BEQUEST, London. " Miss Martindale" 1781-82 by George ROMNEY (1734-1802)

Beating the Bounds CC72_02365
Beating the Bounds, Longwall Street, Oxford. Boys scramble for coins at Longwall during the annual ceremony of beating the bounds, which reinforces knowledge of the parish boundary

Children playing in a pond in 1914 CC71_00076
BARRACKS LANE, Cowley, Oxford, Oxfordshire. Children playing in the sheep-washing pool on a hot summers day. Photographed by Henry Taunt in 1914

St Annes Church, Kew Green a064154
ST ANNEs CHURCH, Kew Green, London. A small girl running along the path to the entrance to St Annes Church. Photographed by John Gay sometime between January 1962 and May 1964

Watching cricket a064195
KEW GREEN, London. View of two standing boys and a seated man watching a game of cricket on Kew Green. Photographed by John Gay. Date range: Jan 1962 - May 1964

Reynolds - The Angerstein Children J030046
KENWOOD HOUSE, THE IVEAGH BEQUEST, London. " The Children of John Julius Angerstein" c1782-3 by Sir Joshua REYNOLDS (1723-92)

Reynolds - The Brummell Children J910532
KENWOOD HOUSE, THE IVEAGH BEQUEST, London. " The Brummell Children " 1781-82 by REYNOLDS Sir Joshua (1723-92)

Minnie the Minx statue, Dundee, Scotland

Princess Elizabeth and Margaret in the Welsh Cottage
Charming photograph of Princess Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth II) and her younger sister, Princess Margaret posing at the windows of y Bwthyn bach to Gwellt (the Welsh Cottage)

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1927
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, born 10th June 1921, son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenburg. Consort of Queen Elizabeth II. Pictured wearing a sailor suit in 1927

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"Childhood: A Timeless Journey of Innocence and Wonder" Step into the enchanting world of childhood, where imagination knows no bounds. As you stroll through Kensington Gardens, you can't help but be captivated by the Peter Pan statue standing tall amidst a sea of green. It reminds us that in our hearts, we all long to hold onto the magic and freedom of youth. In Muriel Dawson's painting "Homeward, " we witness the pure joy on children's faces as they race home after a day filled with adventures. Just like Charles Darwin and his son captured in N990002 and Sharples' portrait of six-year-old Charles Darwin with Catherine K971925, these images remind us that even great minds were once young explorers. The sight of children playing in the snow (a054098) evokes memories of building snowmen and engaging in friendly snowball fights. And who could forget those exhilarating moments on the field? The cover of "Play the Game Football" takes us back to carefree days spent chasing after a ball with friends. But childhood wasn't just about play; it was also about learning and discovery. In 1914, at Stratford Cooperative Society's Comptometer Room (BL22762), young minds were being shaped as they delved into mathematics and problem-solving skills. Muriel Dawson's artwork continues to capture timeless moments from childhood - whether it is Wright dressing up a kitten (J960062), or Spring Flowers blooming under sunny skies. These paintings transport us back to simpler times when every little thing brought immense joy. Even centuries ago, childhood held its own charm. The early 12th-century frescoes in Bet Maryam depict scenes from St. Mary's Church in Lalibela, Ethiopia - reminding us that across cultures and time periods, children have always been cherished treasures.