What is this girl wearing, and what building is behind her?

[Camilla]

I think this photo was taken in Edinburgh, and although I live there I am not sure where it is (I am bad at identifying buildings). Do you recognize the building?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741387@N03/4996782104/

Photo was taken in Feb 1921 and shows "Miss Farraday (L) and Miss Kerr (R)" according to writing on the reverse.

Miss Kerr's outfit also intrigues me. The heavy gloves (gauntlets?) and general shape of it make me think it could even be some sort of uniform. I wondered if any of you clever people might have suggestions? I'm happy to follow it up with research but just don't know where or how to do this.

Many thanks for looking! Hope I've posted the link properly, if not I'll be back in a moment to try again ...

[Alan SHARP]

Greetings Camilla.

Your flickr photo comes up OK even on my slow dial-up. The lady on the right appears, to my eyes, to be in a uniform, but what I do not know. Living down under I can not help you with the building.

Alan SHARP

[winslowsmom]

Someone commented on the flickr page that this was a girl guide's uniform, and indeed, you can see one here that is very much the same: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Princ ... ,_1922.jpg

Sorry, no input yet on the location.

Cathy

[hg]

Yes, that's what I was thinking. The white chord round her neck looks like it has a whistle at the end. Although I am from Edinburgh I do not recognise the location.

[AndrewP]

Hi Camilla,

I think your photo was taken in East Princes Street Gardens, east of the Scott Monument and a bit down the hill. I think the building in the background is what was for generations R W Forsyth - nowadays Top Man / Dorothy Perkins etc. The fence to the top right I think is at the top of the Waverley Bridge - not the current fence, possibly a fence requisitioned at the time of the Second World War (and probably ended out as scrap metal as many of these fences did, rather than ever used for the war effort).

See the view here (presumably taken from the first level up on the Scott Monument):

http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_prin/1_pr ... c_east.htm

Or a recent view from Google Maps streetview:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 1,,0,-17.5

All the best,

AndrewP

[Currie]

Cathy’s comment re the Girl Guides looks pretty good. Here’s video of Princess Mary inspecting Girl Guides. The uniforms of the GG leaders, or whatever they’re called, varies somewhat, but for some there’s the long epaulette thing on the left shoulder, the slouch hat, the long lanyard to whistle or pocket knife or whatever, and the long leather gauntlets, http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=17578

Alan

[SarahND]

Interesting video, Alan! Sorry to be so ignorant, but what's the deal with saluting with the right hand, yet shaking hands with the left? Everyone seems to know the ritual anyway (except me!)

Regards,
Sarah

[carlineric]

I agree with Andrew it does look like Princes Street gardens near to the Scott Monument, I was unsure of the building but having seen Andrew's links I am now fairly certain of the location. I see there is comment on flikr from a former Queen's Guide saying it is a Guides unifrom. Initially, because of the gauntlets, I thought she may have been a driver of some sort. That did not fit with the other lady in the photograph who appears to be well dressed in a fur coat / stole (not clear in the photograph) and is carrying a book which may be a bible. It is likely that they were photographed after a church service possibly in connection with the Girl Guides.

Eric

[Currie]

Sarah,

You’re very observant, I didn’t notice that.

Apparently that’s the way Scouts shake hands, with the left, but they just do the usual right hand salute. The offering of the left hand was instigated by Baden-Powell and was supposed to be a sign of great trust because the other party could still be holding a weapon, such as a Scout’s pocket-knife, in their fighting hand. http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/in ... 902AAL7qSK

The only time I can remember shaking hands with my left hand was with my father’s cousin. He was an old soldier and had a hook as a right hand, like a pirate.

All the best,
Alan

[SarahND]

Thanks for the explanation, Alan. That makes some sort of sense. I'm extra-sensitive to left hands, having spent a number of years in India where the left hand is only used for certain purposes and it can be very insulting to use it to hand things to people, etc., so when I saw that video, it jumped out at me!

Regards,
Sarah