Figure 1.-- This is a photigraph taken in the New York City Library, Harlem Branch. It shows the Children's Room. The photograph is not dated, but based on the clothing it would have been taken about 1905. Notice the gas lighting, no electricury yet.

America developed a superb public library system, out classing amy country in Europe. Many people recall getting a library card. That opened up a while new world, searching through the stacks. Libraries today are an important part of modern lide and now are not just about books, but are media centers. Amnerica has led the way in the creation of public libraries. Early American public libraries were established through philanthropic contributions (18th century). From this developed free public libraries (19th century). This was a product of course of feee market capitalism. Andrew Carnege in America played an especially important role in launching public libraries. This allowed even low income families access to books for their children. The photograph on the previous page is from about 1910 of the interior of the Seward Park Library, a Lower East Side neighborhood branch library in New York City. Note the librarian's floor-length skirt and the school children's clothes. The boys, who seem to be about 9 or 10 years old, wear knickers buckled below the knee with long black stockings. The boy speaking to the librarian wears a white shirt with a necktie. Notice also his hightop shoes typical of the period. These are local school children who came to the library for a quiet place to study. They probably lived in somewhat crowded and chaotic houses or apartments on the Lower East Side. Early in the 20th century, this area housed a working-class population occupied by tenement dwellers and sweatshop workers. There was quite a bit of ethnic diversity because the area was largely made up of recent imigrants to the city. The Library helped local families in their struggle to learn English. During the Great Depression some of the library staff spoke Yiddish to help cope with imigrant Jewish families. The Seward Park Library was opened in 1909 and is still operating. At the time of this photograph, it was so new that the book shelves are still mostly empty. It was a branch of the New York Public Library.

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Sailor suits] [Sailor hats] [Buster Brown suits]
[Eton suits] [Rompers] [Tunics] [Smocks] [Pinafores]

Created: 5:43 PM 7/13/2020
Last updated: 5:43 PM 7/13/2020