An inventory of traces: Children's photographs of their toys in three London homes

Abstract

This article draws on a longitudinal ethnographic study of three London homes. It considers photographs taken by three 5-7 year old boys of collections of toys, arranged on floor spaces and bedrooms, and objects within homes. Two households were working class, and the third home middle class. Using the concept of the inventory, representations of toys and their semiotic affordances are considered. Time and space are considered with regard to the collections photographed, as well as the implications for a visual ethnography of the home in the context of the ethnography of everyday life. © 2006, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.