Figure 1.--These Argentine boys were photographed after World War I, probably in the 1920s. All we know about the photograph is that the boy with the Zepplin was 12 years old. One holds a toy Zepplin. Count Zepplin developed rigid lighter than air airship before World War I which came to be called Zepplins. It proved ineffective more military uses, but after the War was used for luxury international travel, until the Hidenberg disaster in New Jersey (1936). Put your cursor on the image for a closer view.

We do not yet have much information on Argentine boyhood activites and the clothing and costuming associated with them. Here there are several topics we want to persue such as the fine arts (choir, dance, and music), school, sports, and youth groups. Many Argentine children wore white smocks to school. Argentine boys play various sports, but the dominant sport is footbll (soccer). There are also family outings and home plays including topics like toys. Another important topic is religion. Most Argentines are Catholic. Many Argentine children do first communion, although economic class affected to what extent they dressed up for the occassion. Our Argentine archive is still limited, but we are expanding it and home to persue this topic in detail.

Fine Arts: Dance

Argentines as many Latin Americans have looked down on ballet dancers. Embued withe machismo, a strident male ethic, Argentines did not think ballet dancers were very manly. Few Argentine boys in that atmosphere desired to pursue ballet. There appears to have been a sea change in the late 1990s thanks largely to a graceful Argentine dancer, Julio Bocca. His success has generated a surge of male enrollment in Argentine ballet schools.

Home Activities

We do not yet have much information on Argentine holidays. We have noted some phitographs showing the toys boys played with.

Outings

We do not have a lot of information on outings Argentine familes took. They seem to have been similar to those in Europe. We note children playing in city parks. Unfortunately we do not yet know much about Argentne urban parks. We also notice beach outings. Mar del Plata was a popular outing for Porteņos--people from Buenos Aires. And Argentine as the capital and by far he largest city plays a central role in Argentine national life. Mar del Plata is located in the northern Rio Plata estuary. Further south the waters begins to get cold, even in the summer. We also notice families taking outings into the country for picnics.

Religion: First Communnion

Fist Comminion was a very important day in the life of an Argentine child, although this varies from school to school. The private Catholic schools gave special attention to First Communion. Boys from aflluent families would have special suits for the occasion. Eton suits or white suits were particularly popular. Often the class would dress alike for the occasion. By the 1980s such fancy syuts had become less common. One boy at a Catholic school reports wearing the school uniform with a blue blazer or suit coat instead of the smock and a big white flower attached on our left arm. I wore a white short sleeve shirt, blue tie, grey short pants, blue knee socks, black high-fronted shoes and a blue blazer. Other Argentine boys wore many different clothes for First Communion. It depended a lot on social status. The poorer kids mainly wore jeans, various shoes, a shirt or a t-shirt and their white front buttoning school "v" neck smock. Other boys from more affluent families mainly wore short pants suits.

School Uniform

Argentine state schools have not required school uniforms. Primary schools required children to wear white smocks, but under the smocks the children could wear their own clothes. Argentina is one of the Latin American countries with the most European look. Argentine elementary school children traditionally wore white smocks--showing the Italian influence on the country and school system. While state schools did not require uniforms, private schools often did. Boys in some private schools wore short pants and kneesocks, rather like a British school.

Sports

Argentine boys play various sports, but the dominant sport is footbll (soccer).

Youth Groups

The largest Scouting organization in Latin America appears to be Argentina. As far as we know Scouting is the only importangt uniformed youth group. We have few details on Argentinde Scouting. There appears to be a separate Catholic Scouting association. The image here suggests considerable attention to the unidform. As with most groups, there a destincr Cub and Scout uniform. We are not sure if any other youth groups have been active in Argentina. There does appear to be a popular youth hostel movement in Argentina.

Created: 5:30 AM 10/30/2007
Last updated: 11:28 PM 3/15/2008