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| Kitty Knight by Tim Walker |
This week it finally feels like the world is taking notice of older women - both the Fabulous Fashionistas variety and the ones who look more like my relatives. All the proceeds of Tim Walker's latest book The Granny Alphabet go to the charity Friends of the Elderly. Described by the fantastical photograper as 'Part photographic love letter to the elderly and part documentation of a dying breed of little old ladies,' each of Walker's grannies is accompanied by a short verse written by Kit Hesketh-Harvey:
Kitty Knight is keen on knitting.
Kitty Knits an awful lot.
Did she knit that kilt she's wearing?
I think knot.
There's still-life photography of traditional granny accessories: a bingo card, a walking stick, and the inside cover is a picture of a plastic rain hood, just like the one my nan used to wear:
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| Nan's rain hood. |
This fantastic 'twinset' also contains a book of lovely illustrations by Lawrence Mynott:
Get your credit cards out, it's for a very good cause.
The Granny Alphabet (£24.95) is published by Thames & Hudson, available from 11 November 2013.
I had a discussion with one of my high school classes this week of how they define the word, "Elderly." One young lady defines it as anyone 40 or above. Another as anyone with gray hair. Finally one said, I think it is when you are 90 and over and perhaps need some help to live." We talked about wrinkles and aging and how people are living longer. I think it was a great talk for teens.
ReplyDeleteOh, I like Pam's class discussion. I think more of those, combined perhaps with a visit with a few of those so-defined elderly folks, would go quite a distance in helping people understand one another a bit better. I would also
ReplyDeleteIke to see/own this book. I hope those of us in the US can get ahold of it, too!
Pam & Gretchen - agree. Think we (and the mainstream media/government) need to help shift attitudes so that everyone takes a more positive view on ageing.
ReplyDeleteI've just returned home after spending a week with my parents, both of whom are 90 years old. I had dinner with their friends who are roughly the same age. Although they have their respective infirmities, I'm always stunned by their resilience and humanity as they approach what they know are their final years. Some days I feel old at 60, but I'm properly chastised when I see them. I wish I had been able to spend more time with my grandparents when I was growing up. I can only imagine the stories they could tell. I do think that as the demographic shifts, with a large aging population, what used to be considered "old" will change.
ReplyDeleteThis is great to see but you are still a long, long way from this reality, if it ever even manifests. People just do not age the same way anymore. We are far better at caring for our bodies and minds and will likely find our 90's etc, to be a lot different then that of the elderly we see depicted.
ReplyDeleteIt is an interesting book for the anthropological contrasts it will no doubt provide to future generations.
Elle - oh I completely agree (particularly after spending time last week with fabulous women like Sue Kreitzman) and Tim Walker does describe his grannies as a dying breed.
ReplyDeleteI love visiting your blog and so many posts to catch up on. You are inspiring me with the latest on the aging front! You're right. Out comes the credit card!
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