Photographs

Alcalde's servant, his wife and daughter We proposed to the alcalde last night to take his photograph, at which he was much pleased. We told him, however, that he must be ready very early, as when the sun was up high the lights and shadows would be too strongly contrasted. He promised to be ready at six o'clock next morning, with his daughter, whose portrait he was very anxious to have to send to her brother in Cuba. When the morning arrived, however, we found that “his sisters, and his cousins, and his aunts” all wanted to be photographed. Unfortunately these good people thought it such an event in their lives, that their best toggery must be put on, and so we had to wait, with what patience we could, until the sun was high, it being past seven o'clock when we secured photographs, and those inartistic. We did all we could to persuade them to come as they were, but without effect, and the result was not conducive to the picturesqueness of our picture.

By dint of much persuasion, we succeeded in getting the alcalde's servant to pose with a water-barrel on her head; she thought we were laughing at her, while we considered her the redeeming point in the group. Lorenzo, who would cheerfully stand on his head for us, I believe, acceded at once to our request that he should don his manto and stand near the girl with the water-barrel. What his feelings were, with the sun scorching down on his face and a double blanket enveloping his body, I know not!

Olivia Stone, Tenerife and its six satellites (1887)