You’re hired! In a Victorian way

Over the weekend I came across this old photo from 1895. It is from the Victorian equivalent of a Jobs or Recruitment fair. We

Saw this old photo from 1895. A Victorian service fair. The young lady is having a coin placed in her hand to confirm she is employed.

We can see the young girl is sticking her hand out and about to have a coin placed into her hand that will confirm that she is now employed in a life of Service.

Though it would be improper for her to look at her new employers, and it was not the fashion to smile even for family photos (something I always thought was better than the current way), she doesn’t look like she is thrilled about her position in life.

Weirdly or not as I seem to have a photographic memory for these things, I immediately knew where this photo was taken.

It’s Carlisle, the city I was born and lived in for just a few weeks having arrived by ship having been ‘discovered’ in Australia and narrowly avoided being born in a Portuguese Nunnery in Angola…. it’s a long story!

I may not have lived in Carlisle but for my first few weeks but in the first 8 years of my life would often visit with my Grandparents for a day trip by train from Workington.

Having said that, I’ve only been once since about 1981, waiting for my train home after doing Hadrians Wall just before Covid.

It took a minute or two but I’m sure this is the right spot. You can see the detail on the wall over the shoulder of the older lady in the modern photo remains and the clock tower too. It also looks like the support struts for the old porch roof remain just above the base of the windows and these window sills aren’t visible in the old photo.

How funny to just randomly come across a 130 year old photo from hundreds of miles away and know exactly where it is. I wonder how many years the young girl worked in Service for the rich family?