Figure 1.--The uniform at this military school had kneepants for the boys. The image is undated, but was probably taken about 1910. The uniform is styled rather like the West Point cadet uniform rather than an actual army uniform that was more common at American military schools. |
Most of the U.S. military schools were organized on army lines. Thus the uniforms were styled like U.S. army uniforms. Styles have generally changed over time as U.S. Army uniforms have changed. Some of the uniforms were styled like actual military uniforms. Others were styled like Westv Point cadet uniforms, The uniforms mostly entailed long pants uniforms, but some late 19th or early 20th century uniforms included kneepants. A naval military school had white short pants, I believe as a seasonal uniform. Most of these schools were secondary sdchools--rather strict preparatory schools in the American sence. Other schools were primary (elementary) schools for younger boys. This also affected uniform styles.
Most of the U.S. military schools were organized on army lines. Thus the uniforms were mostly styled like U.S. army uniforms. There was, however, at least one naval school.
Styles have generally changed over time as U.S. Army uniforms have changed. Some schools have used the West Point cadet style uniform, but most American military schools have followed the various uniform changes over time of the U.S. Army and Navy in one way or the other. Many avaialble images are undated, but by comparing them to the established dates for military uniforms, some dates can be estimated.
Some of the uniforms were styled like actual military uniforms. Others were styled like West Point cadet uniforms.
HBC has begun to acquire some information showing the kinds of garments that have been worn at American military schools.
Military schools have used virtually every type of cap used by the American army. We have note the kepi? (Civil War style cap), the pillbox cap, the campaign cap, and the peaked cap among others. The caps seem to be some of the most obvious uniform changes over time. As many early portraits were taken indoors, however, the boys sometimes were not wearing their caps.
The uniforms mostly entailed long pants uniforms, but some late 19th or early 20th century uniforms included kneepants. I do not think this was very common, but have only limited information at this time. It was quite common for even older American boys to wear kneepants in the 1900s and 1910s. A naval military school in the mid-20th century had white short pants, I believe as a seasonal uniform.
Most of these schools were secondary sdchools--rather strict preparatory schools in the American sence. Other schools were primary (elementary) schools for younger boys. This also affected uniform styles.
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