My Albums...

Album I ~ 1897-1913

These photographs are in no strict order, but generally chronicle my life from infancy into 1913. 1913 was the year I turned sixteen, and started wearing my hair up. I was finally a grown woman. :)

Editors' notes:

Olga or Tatiana - I identified the second photo as Tatiana instead of Olga (the usual identification) due to the 'late' look of the Tsaritsa's dress. And, as some have mentioned, one would expect Olga to have appeared fatter during that period.

The regimental photographs - The regimental photo shoot (At the Alexander Palace) has been dated 1911, 1912, and 1913 by various sources. Tatiana is too short and looks too young for these photos to have been taken in 1913. I have seen one of the pair shots signed and dated 1912 by Olga and Tatiana themselves, which seems much more likely. We know that Tanya received her regiment in January, 1910, according to a letter she wrote to her cousin Louise of Battenburg (see the works section for the letter). So, 1911 is a possibility as well, especially given the advance nature of many imperial photo shoots.

Also: 27 May, 1911, Nicholas' diary: "...We watched Gan taking pictures of Olga and Tatiana on horsebacks in the garden wearing their Chiefs' Uniforms..."

Hems, hair, and age - It's fairly common to see the girls wearing the same dresses over a period of seasons or years. For example, the dark, dotted dresses with the decorative buttons appear to have been worn in both 1912 and 1913. Additionally, hem lengths do not always reflect the true age of the wearer. For example, you'll see many pictures of Tatiana, in 1912/13, in which she is sporting both a fully-dropped 'adult' hem and a child's ponytail. Since her birthday often fell smack-dab in the middle of the vacation season, it makes sense that she would have come prepared to dress as an adult once she turned 16.

There are still more curious photos of Marie, with hair up, but in situations and fashions that indicate years earlier than 1915, when she turned 16.

To see a larger version, please click...

Baby picture

With Olga and Mama, 1897.

Baby picture

Probably me, 1897.

Baby picture

Me.

Baby picture

Me, 1898.

Baby picture

My parents, Olga, and me.

NAOTM

My family, complete at the time with Mashka.

OTM

1899. With Olga and Maria.

Riding mules with Olga

1899. Riding with Olga.

OT

1900, with Olga.

OTM

OTM in 1900.

Big Pair

The Big Pair, 1900.

OTM, 1901.

Visiting Denmark, 1901.

With our cousin Ella, Elisabeth of Hesse.

Giggling.

Riding.

OTMA.

OTMA.

OTMA.

OT at Tsarskoe Selo.

1906.

1906.

1906.

1906, Peterhof.

1906, Peterhof.

1906, Peterhof.

Nightgown...1906.

Visiting France.

1908, Ropsha.

1908, Skerries.

Porch photograph.

OTMA and Mama.

1909. Tsarskoe Selo, The Children's Island, at the Cape of Good Sasha.

Looking at a picture with Mama, 1909.

1909. Livadia, playing on the Wendy House.

With Mama.

Looking down into the water.

See? My mother can smile.

At Massandra, near Yalta in the Crimea. 1909. Our first year back in the south since Great-Uncle Sergei's assassination in 1905.

With Mama, looks like the same outing.

With Olga, looks like the same outing.

1909, Massandra (?).

Huge hats.

On the Standart.

This is an odd one. Look closely.

1909, Alexandria Dacha, Peterhof. With cousin Irina Aleksandrovna and Olga.

1910, with our father.

1910, formal.

1910.

With members of my regiment, the Uhlan Lancers.

Hmm.

 

Ca. 1910, on the Standart.

1910, Germany.

Same.

Me.

1911, Sevastopol, on the Standart.

On Mama's balcony. Playing with twigs.

1911 on the Standart

Swimming at Livadia with Ania.

Ca. 1911 at the Alexander Palace, in regimentals.

Same.

Same.

1912, ceremonial procession.

Very large hats. 1912. Peterhof.

St. Petersburg, Petrovskaya Embankment, August of 1912. We were about to board a boat on the river.

Drawing, 1912.

1912, with Greek relatives.

 

1912.

1912.

Ca. 1912, Crimea

Same period.

At Peterhof, with the cannons.

Finland.

Crimean vinyards. Papa had vinyards of his own near Livadia. He grew muscats.

Finland.

1912, Finland.

Same.

Finalnd, ca. 1912, with Pavel Voronov, an officer on the Standart who was a good friend of the family, and a favorite of my sister Olga's.

1912, Finland, with Papa.

Finnish cruise, ca. 1912.

1912, on the Standart with my cousin, Ludwig of Hesse (the younger).

On the Standart with my brother.

Finland, 1912.

1912, Tennis.

1912.