Godmother

My great - great - grandmother. (The mother of Dad's grandmother). With her husband and her children. Tellicherry. 1890s.

The classic family portrait. The parents staring straight ahead. The fidgety children who would much rather be elsewhere. 

Two things caught my attention. One, the age gap. She's clearly much younger than him and already a mother of 5 children. This is still the 19th century. Second, her gaze. She's not nervous, she's clearly no damsel in distress. This may still be the 19th century but she holds her gaze steady. 

She was one hell of a strong lady but those tales are for another time.