Tax Season

Posted by Ellie

When I was about 3, I had photos of myself published in the Montreal Gazette. I was paid for this photo session, and was obliged to file my taxes. This tax preparation session was photographed as a series in the paper. I have no idea who took the photographs, but every year at tax season I am reminded of these photographs and how I feel no different now to how I felt then. Enjoy the session!

A black and white photo of a little girl with curly blond hair with a bow in it, and smiling blue eyes looking at the camera, She has a dress with puffy sleeves and a neat round collar and is smiling confidently. She is holding a pencil in her hand over some papers on a slatted table.
1. All ready to start working on my year end tax returns
A black and white photo of a little girl with curly blond hair with a bow in it, and big earnest blue eyes looking at the camera, resting her face between her hands. She is sitting on a wicker chair and on the slatted table in front of her are some papers with printed figures.
2. It seemed pretty straight forward, but now I’m not sure.
A black and white photo of a little girl with curly blond hair with a bow in it, and big earnest blue eyes looking at the camera as she speaks into the receiver of a toy telephone. She is sitting on a wicker chair and on the slatted table in front of her is an apple, some papers with printed figures on it, and what looks like a toy dog. She is holding a pencil in her hand.
3. I think I had better call the accountant
A black and white photo of a little girl with blond hair, scratching her head as she looks down, mystified, towards a receipt she is holding in the other hand, and she has a pencil held in her mouth. She is sitting in a wicker chair at a slatted table with a paper printed with figures on it.
4. I’m pretty sure I never bought this much software
A black and white photo of a little girl with blond hair that is becoming really messy from running her hands through it. On the slatted table in front of her are some messy papers with printed figures on them and a toy telephone. Her mouth is set in a tight line with a pencil held firmly in it and she is holding the receiver of the telephone in her left hand against the side of her neck, below her ears. Her eyebrows are down in a straight line across her intense eyes, matching the line of the pencil held firmly in her mouth. She might be holding a piece o crumpled paper in the other hand.
5. Yes, of course I’m sure.
A black and white photo of a little girl with messy flat blond hair held back, perhaps with a clip. She is sitting on a wicker chair and on the slatted table in front of her are some messy papers with printed figures on them, an apple, and the receiver of a toy telephone. Her mouth is set in a tight line and her arms are up behind her head in despair. She has a stare of defiance.
6. You can do it yourself, then! I’m not doing any more!

17 Responses

  1. What a wonderful set of photos and lovely memories. You were and still are a cutie ❤️

    Reply

    1. They are a real treasure, I’m so glad I have them, though I have no memory at all of the time they were taken. Not so much a cutie after 70 long years… Thanks!

      Reply

  2. What a great story, told in such an expressive and beautiful manner by those wonderfully expressive eyes.

    Reply

    1. Thanks Carmen. This one was short and sweet (or maybe not all sweet…). I wish the same could be said for the actual tax preparation! Thanks for checking in.

      Reply

  3. Such beautiful portraits and amazing moods! The eyes’re so very expressive!
    I love how BW images make these moments timeless!

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    1. Isn’t that true? That was what there was, at least for the paper. It works so well now as then. Thanks, Françoise. Bisous.

      Reply

  6. Beautiful pictures! And I agree that taxes still leave us feeling the same if not worse today!

    Reply

    1. You are most probably right. We should try expressing our feelings this way any see if it makes them any easier to navigate.

      Reply

  8. I’ll bet that a lot of folks feel as you do in the last photo! I didn’t realize that you had an earlier modelling career.

    Reply

    1. I knew it would strike a chord with most people. It’s a common feeling, though not many would express their feelings as dramatically.

      Reply

  9. You haven’t changed a bit, Ellie…and neither has the psychological response to the tax filing process changed – which is so aptly captured in this great sequence of photos of an adorable pint-sized model. You must have earned good fees if it warranted paying income tax for a 3 yr old!

    Reply

    1. Ha ha! I don’t wear bows in my hair any more, at least. Although why not?
      I was a typical exploited child, I guess, as I don’t remember seeing any money.
      Every year the stress returns, and I still est apples.

      Reply

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