A Pony in the Picture

Children everywhere have always loved ponies. Those lucky enough to grow up with horses invariably recall them as the keepers of their happiest childhood memories. But for most, a brief ride on a rented pony was the closest they would ever get to a horse of their own. A PONY IN THE PICTURE is an endearing collection of antique and vintage photographs of children posing proudly with ponies and horses, often taken by itinerant photographers who traveled the countryside, suburbs, and cities. Each image captures a moment in time when it seems that all it took for a child to attain sheer joy was the patient presence of a shaggy Shetland pony and a borrowed cowboy hat.  A sweetly evocative collection of 120 photographic portraits of children and ponies, spanning 1880 to 1990. Chronicles the use of ponies as "props" in children's portraiture, and documents the development of photography and the popularity of keepsake photos over more than a century. All the photographs were taken in the United States and Canada, with striking exceptions from Burma, Buenos Aires, and Great Britain. A perfect gift for horse lovers and vintage photography collectors.