Harris Family Picture Frame

A grid image. At the top there is an oval frame with two sections. The left door is open revealing a picture of a woman. The right door is closed and on the outside is a painted section with lily of the valley and forget-me-nots. Under there is an image of the frame fully open revealing six pictures, five girls and one boy. All the pictures are black and white.
The Harris Family picture frame with six members of the second generation, from the Eldon House collection

Country of Origin: Likely England
Year: ca. 1870
Materials: Brass, enamel, and paper 

This picture frame belonged to the matriarch of Eldon House, Amelia Ryerse Harris. Made of brass, it is a folding frame containing pictures of six of her adult children. On the inside frame are images of Mary, Sarah, Teresa, Eliza, Amelia, and George. Several of the Harris daughters lived in England, and these images likely would have been a present for their mother.

On the outside of the brass doors, are enameled designs of lily of the valley’s and forget me nots. For the Victorians, flower’s represented different meanings. Lily of the valley represented joy, love, sincerity, and happiness. Forget me nots meant true love and devotion. This frame was meant to be a representation of love between a mother and her children.

We acknowledge that we are on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Attawandaron. We honour and respect the history, languages and culture of the diverse Indigenous people who call this territory home.

We acknowledge all the treaties that are specific to this area: the Two Row Wampum Belt Treaty of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy/Silver Covenant Chain; the Beaver Hunting Grounds of the Haudenosaunee NANFAN Treaty of 1701; the McKee Treaty of 1790, the London Township Treaty of 1796, the Huron Tract Treaty of 1827, with the Anishinaabeg, and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum of the Anishnaabek and Haudenosaunee.

The three Indigenous Nations that are neighbours to London are the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation; Oneida Nation of the Thames; and the Munsee-Delaware Nation who all continue to live as sovereign Nations with individual and unique languages, cultures, and customs.