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Boys wore a range of military-styled caps. By this we mean an army style cap. Sailor caps were a military style as well, but we treat them separately in the sailor cap section. Unfortunately we do not yet know the proper name for the various cap styles. The first militarty style we note is a rather modern looking peaked cap that was worn by Mexican War soldiers. This seems to have been a style Americans boys began wearing in the 1820s, although it appeared earlier in Europe. We note an 1829 American drawing sghowing a boy at the White House. He wears one of these caps with a tassle and a short jacket. These caps might be worn by school boys with tunics as well as other garments. After photography is developed, we see them in the photographic record. A good example is 10-year old Edward Edwards in the mid-1840s. We see some military style caps in America during the 1850s, probably influenced by the Mexican War. A good example is an unidentified boy, wearing a tunic outfit.
The kepi was won by boys during and after the Civil war era, but it was never a really popular style. I'm not sure just why, because of the terrible loss of like during the war. We noted occassional portraits in the late-19th century of boys wearing caps similar to the caps worn in the mid-19th century. A good example is Joe Meyers, we think in the 1890s. We see other peaked cap styles in the late 19th century, but again they never proved to be a particularly popular style. They were often worn with military costumes boys wore. They were never worn as commonly as sailor styles.
Boys mostly in the 19th century wore a variety of army style cap. Sailor caps were a military style as well, but we treat them separately in the sailor cap section. The army cap styles were not as popular as the sailor styles. We are not entirely sure why this was. They seemed to have been most popular in the mid-19th century until the Civil War.
Boys wore a range of military-styled caps. They were popular styles and we see them in many period portraits. Unfortunately we do not yet know the proper name for the various cap styles.
The first militarty style we note is a rather modern looking peaked cap that was worn by Mexican War soldiers. This seems to have been a style Americans boys began wearing in the 1820s, although it appeared earlier in Europe. We note an 1829 American drawing sghowing a boy at the White House. He wears one of these caps with a tassle and a short jacket. These caps might be worn by school boys with tunics as well as other garments. After photography is developed, we see them in the photographic record. A good example is 10-year old Edward Edwards in the mid-1840s. We see some military style caps in America during the 1850s, probably influenced by the Mexican War. We note an unidentified boy in the 1860s wearing one of these caps. They became less common in the late-19th century, but we still notice a few examples.
Americans will recognize the kepi as the Civil War cap. It was adopted by borh the Federal and Condederate Armies from European militaries. It was a particularly important French style.
The kepi was won by boys during and after the Civil war era, but it was never really a major style. I think it was popular with boys, but we do not see a lot of portris with boys wearing them. I don't think it was considered a proper dress up style. We see a few portrits, but given the enormous scale of the War, one who have thought they would have been much more widespread. We see more boys wearing the Napoleonic/Mexican war caps than the kepis. We are not entirely sure why it was not more popular. The Civil war was the most traumatic event in American history. pre Americans died in the Civil war than World War II, and the population of America was much smaller at the time. Given the importance of the Civil War and the fct that the kepi was the mot important uniform cap style, you would have thought that virtually every boy would have have worn one. Perhaps every boy wantedone, but relatively few boys in the photigraphic record appear to have worn one. I'm not sure just why, because of the terrible loss of like during the war.
We note a cap that looks rather like a band cap. We have no idea what this cap tyle was called, or even if it had a a specific name in the 19th century. It is clearly a military style, but more a fanciful style than a style actually worn by the U.S, army. We are not at all sure how to describe it. The sides of the cap seem rather stiff and cylindrical, but did not rise very high. We see them done in various materials. A good example is an unidentified boy, wearing a tunic outfit. It was not a particularly common style. We do occassionaly see it and see it enough that ot certainly was not a rare style. So far the images we have found come from the 1850s-60s.
We noted occassional portraits in the late-19th century and even the early-20th century of boys wearing caps similar to the caps worn in the mid-19th century. We see other peaked cap styles in the late 19th century, but again they never proved to be a particularly popular style.
We note a cap that was a kind of cross beteen a military peaked cap and a flat cap. We have no idea what the proper name for this style is. We haven't noticed many examples of this style. A good example is Joe Meyers, we think in the 1890s.
Military caps were obviously worn at military schools. The kepi was very common during and after te Civil War. In the late 19th century otherstyles wee introduced. Beginning at this time, military schools generally followed U.S. Army uniform styles. They were often worn with military costumes boys wore. They were never worn as commonly as sailor styles.
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