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Identifying Strange Balls

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  • Identifying Strange Balls




    Does anyone know what the ball type things the boys are holding are and what significance if any they had? This is taken Hampshire, 1920's. There is a photo of my great auntie taken in London around same time 1925/6ish and she is holding one as well. Puzzled as to what they are or what they were for. Any Ideas?

  • #2
    Toilet stopcocks? lol
    Jess

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    • #3
      I wonder if they are some kind of float??
      Rosi



      We are the famous CFC

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      • #4
        Lol Jess

        I wonder if it's some form of skittles?
        Chrissie passed away in January 2020.

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        • #5
          Perhaps the photo commemorates three sons taking on their share in a pawnbrokers business? :D

          Not being best helpful, are we?

          never see anything like it ( except in the loo cistern)
          Jess

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          • #6
            The way they are being held looks like there is something attached
            Rosi



            We are the famous CFC

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            • #7
              They appear to be lightweight. Front boy seems to have his index finger through a loop. The boy at the back wants the camera to see his, so whatever it is must be important to him, but other than that I've no idea. Some sort of container if not for sport?

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              • #8
                It's very strange..as I say my great aunt there is a photo of her from exact same time, also holding one. She was a similar age too about 12 or 13, as the boys above. I wonder if it was just something the photographers gave youngsters to occupy their hands, though seems odd.

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                • #9
                  Maybe they were the latest craze in toys - like yo-yos, diabalos and clackers in other different eras.

                  Anne

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Richard View Post
                    It's very strange..as I say my great aunt there is a photo of her from exact same time, also holding one. She was a similar age too about 12 or 13, as the boys above. I wonder if it was just something the photographers gave youngsters to occupy their hands, though seems odd.
                    Might be the case if they were at a formal sitting, in a studio perhaps, but not for an informal photo like that above.

                    Why balls though? in a studio you could understand a book, but not a ball, not that sort of ball anyway
                    Jess

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                    • #11


                      This is my auntie. Her one looks bigger and more 'football' like. I wonder whether it was some sort of toy craze...

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                      • #12
                        Kids used to blow up pig's bladders to make footballs, didn't they? No idea what size or shape they'd be, though.

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                        • #13
                          I always thought that was way back Tudor and Stuart times though a whole lot earlier..I'm not sure my auntie in 1920's Leytonstone would have been up to that sort of thing, though not ruling anything out!

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                          • #14
                            When I showed these to my elderly auntie (not the one in the photo) she said cripes surely our lot wern't so bad they needed to ball and chain all the kids?..Beginning to think she might be right!

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                            • #15
                              Could they be bowls (as in crown green) inside the ball things

                              Jxx

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                              • #16
                                Might be some sort of medicine ball for exercise. Regimented exercise was quite popular in the early 1900s (Indian clubs etc).

                                There's a piece here about them but I haven't been able to find any old photos

                                Medicine ball - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
                                Jackie

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                                • #17
                                  Have a look here


                                  round bombs - Google Image Search


                                  were they in the IRA ?
                                  ~ FOR PHOTO RESTORATIONS PLEASE SCAN AT A RESOLUTION OF 300-600 WITH THE SCALE AT 100% MINIMUM ~ http://restoreandcolour.brainwaving.co.uk

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                                  • #18
                                    lol@Rachel yes can see your thinking, they look similar, but no they were all English through and through!

                                    Interesting idea about the medicine balls, possible I suppose, however the picture of my great aunt is taken professionally by the looks of it as there is a card backdrop used, a training ball seems a weird thing to give the subject. I was hoping the answer would be something straight foward so I could tell my aunt what they were, she was just as puzzled as me, but seems it is a bit of a mystery isn't it.

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                                    • #19
                                      Richard do you think that 'medal' auntie is wearing is associated with the balls ?
                                      ~ FOR PHOTO RESTORATIONS PLEASE SCAN AT A RESOLUTION OF 300-600 WITH THE SCALE AT 100% MINIMUM ~ http://restoreandcolour.brainwaving.co.uk

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                                      • #20
                                        How weird.

                                        Sorry no idea on what those balls are but they're obviously significant because whoever took the photograph would have said 'put that blinking ball thing down"

                                        Last edited by Guest; 22-01-09, 18:23.

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