Untitled (little girl in bonnet standing by baby doll in bonnet on armchair) c. 1940

This photograph by Paul Gittings captures a young girl with her doll, both adorned in bonnets. Bonnets, historically, were symbols of modesty and protection, but here, they evoke innocence and childhood's sheltered world. Consider the reappearance of bonnets across epochs, from Vermeer’s domestic scenes to folk traditions. In each context, the bonnet enfolds the wearer, suggesting notions of privacy, virtue, or simplicity, yet it also conceals, inviting curiosity about what lies beneath. Over time, this garment has morphed, sometimes retaining its religious undertones, other times becoming a mere fashion accessory. Here, the bonnet cloaks the girl and her doll, hinting at a subconscious desire to guard their innocence, a theme that resonates deeply with our collective memory of childhood and its delicate vulnerability. This image evokes a poignant, almost unsettling tenderness, reminding us of the powerful, often contradictory emotions tied to youth and nostalgia.