Baby Prams --In Days Gone By

Posted by Twelvebit (Victoria, United States) on 14 September 2008 in Lifestyle & Culture.

I'm still occupied with the effects of Ike at this point, even though the center of the storm is going to hit Galveston and Houston. Depending on how far out the wind damage extends I may find myself working quite busily over the next few days, although I hope that doesn't turn out to be the case.

Anyway, I don't have much time for photography or blogging so I'll just be throwing up old film scans for the next week or so. If I don't get called into work this weekend maybe I'll be able to catch up on comments and viewing blogs. In the meantime, thanks to those of you who are viewing and/or leaving comments.

Another shot from Holy Loch, I believe, circa 1980. I don't know if they still do this in Scotland but I suspect not. I was motivated to take this photo because this is something I'd never seen in the US. Maybe this was a dangerous practice, or maybe , over the years, we've lost something very much worth having.

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Comments (9)

Daryl from Amagasaki, Japan

You're right, couldn't do this these days... I had forgotten it was quite common to see mum's leaving prams outside shops like this at one time...

14 Sep 2008 9:32am

@Daryl: Like Observing said, they'd probably be arrested now.

JoeB from Brampton, Canada

This has a dated look in colour and content. Nowadays they have brakes, all sorts of compartments, the smallest part is for the child. In my line of work where not too fond about the new strollers. Hope everything went well.

14 Sep 2008 1:39pm

@JoeB: No sign of Ike appeared anywhere near here.

gbe from kansas city, United States

certainly trust has been lost during this time (in any place with tv reception), and trust is definitely worth having. i like the photo.

14 Sep 2008 3:04pm

@gbe: That's a very astute observation about TV.

Kyle from Manhattan KS, United States

My favorite thing about the photo is all the little children's faces, with those strange looks. Well captured.

14 Sep 2008 5:10pm

@Kyle: Thank you.

Observing from West Cheshire, United Kingdom

What a great slice of time from that period, wonderful to look back on. Although I knew it was common practice for 'some' mothers to leave the pram unattended, I'm actually quite surprised to see it here, definately wouldn't happen today, in fact there is a grave chance that you would be arrested for child neglect by the welfare police.

14 Sep 2008 8:49pm

@Observing: No doubt. Check this out (Council staff have been ordered to stop and question adults walking in a public park who are not with children. )

lisa v from Gawler, Australia

When my first child was born, in 1978, I was living in a very small australian coastal town and it was still a common practise then to leave the pram outside the shop ..a lot has changed. What a wonderful photo. The child in back looks like a doll.

15 Sep 2008 12:17am

@lisa v: She was too young to be suspicious of the photographer like the boy up front. Maybe I didn't get around that much, but I grew up in a small town with no crime, and I never saw anything like this in the US --which is why I took the picture.

Sandy from Ontario, United States

Actually I believe they were called "prams"....another name for a stroller....great vintage shot!

15 Sep 2008 1:39am

@Sandy: I googled it and there are baby trams, but you're right, my old memory was faulty and I meant pram.

sherri from Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

I've heard that term before. Terrible to be caught in the rain with a baby.

15 Sep 2008 2:35am

danthro from Suburbia, United States

neat street shot, i didn't really get what was 'dangerous' about it until i read the comments (i was wondering if maybe it was because the one in the back is so high off the ground), i also sort of assumed that the kids in the 'trams' or 'prams' or whatever they're called were with the people in the background

16 Sep 2008 10:35pm

@danthro: The mums were in the store. Granted, these big stores, like a supermarket or something, and they could probably keep an eye on them out the window, but the prams were outside unattended.

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