** sunday school clothes








Sunday School Clothes



Figure 1.--Boys and girls in the early 20th Century still wore their best clothes to sunday school. English boys in their full school kit preparing to go to church. This image was probably taken in the early 1900s. The girls are in dresses. The boys wear Norfolk suits, sailor suits, and even dresses. The child at the lower right like appears to be a boy who has not yet been breeched and still wears dresses.

The Sunday school is an important religious institition in America, Britain, and some European countries. It is, however, relatively recent development. Protestant churches in America and Britain began introducing Sunday schools to provide age appropriate religious experience and instruction for children during the mid-9th century. In America this occurred in the North and was spread to white and nw black churches by missionaries after the Civil War. The Sunday school by the turn of the 20th century was an important religious institution throughout America. Children were normally dressed up in their best clothes for Sunday school, just as if they were going to chrch with their parents. We have a good record as to how children were dressed for Sunday school as the movement began to significantly expand at about te same time that photography developed.

Background

Sunday school is is often thought of as a program for children. Most schools, however, have an active sunday school program for both children and adults. American churches often have programs for children ranging from age 6 weeks through 5th or 6th grade. Often there are special summer programs. I think sunday school programs are less elaborate for European churches. Sunday school typically provides children with an atmosphere of Christian witness, love and nurture as they grow in their faith. The curriculum used is theologically sound, solidly based on the Bible. Sunday shool teachers are carefully selected and trained and assisted by plenty of volunteers.

History

We have relatively little information on the history of sunday school. The first Sunday schools in America predate the public school system. Christian groups founded the schools to teach young workers to read; the school was held on their only day off. By the late nineteenth century, however, public schools had taken over the teaching of basic literacy. Moreover, they began to define education in America. Soon Sunday schools began to copy the age-based class structure, work requirements, and rewards of the public school. I do know that by the second half of the 19th Century it was a well established practice in American churches--especially in the northern states. Chautauqua was founded in 1874 as an educational retreat for Sunday school teachers. The Chautauqua Institution "continues to be ecumenical in spirit and practice today," but is open to the public at large, serving up a mix of arts, education and religious programs.

Methods

Northern Protestant churches in the mid-19th century began developing age apprpriate materials that Sunday school teachers could use. Many developed their own publishing houses. This proved to be a lucraive undertaking, improving church finances. Sunday schools gradually developed sophisticated educaional methods. Many by the early 20th Century often mimicked the public schools. Note that class members received credit for bringing their offering and Bible, being on time, and preparing their lesson. If they received a top grade, they were added to the honor roll; if they failed to attend, however, the teacher lowered their grade. Regular attendance was very important.

National Trends

We believe that the Sunday school was particularly important in America. This is, however, only our initial assessment. We still have very little information about other countries. By the late 19th century the Sunday School movement was a major American institution. A great many American children attended Sunday school and vacation Bible schools in the 19th abd 20th centuries, including children tht were not from psrticulsly religious families. It was strongly associated with the Protestant churches. I think Catholic churches in America picked up on, but was still very Protestant, in part becsause it was conducted by lay teachers. We think sunday schools were also popular in Britain and the British dominions. We have very little information about other countries at this time. A factor here is thst umlike America, many European countries have religious instruction in the public schools.

Regional Differences

The institution of the Sunday School was much more important in the northern United States than in the southern United States. Northern missionaries went south after the Civil War after which the Sunday School became a much more national institution.

Denominational Trends

The Sunday school movement in America was primarily a development among Protestant churches, initilly northern churches. The Baptists and Methodists were early leader. The Phryspeterians were also important. After the Civil War the Southern Baptists developed a major Sunday school program. The Catholic Church was less involved, perhaps because religious instruction in parochial schools made Sunday school less necessary.

Chronological Trends

We have a good record as to how children were dressed for Sunday school as the movement began to significantly expand at about te same time that photography developed. Families used to dress children in their best clothes and take them with them for church services. Gradually it became increasinly obvious that church was not the bestb place for children. Some parents began sending smaller children to Sunday school, although others insisted that the children attend both sunday school and church. Dress standards since the 1940s have become increasingly casual, although the children are still almost alway dressed nicely for church.

Early 19th century

While Sunday schols in many areas pre-dated public schools, they very widelky from community to community. There was no wide-spread organized programs fonded by major denominations.

Mid-19th century

The Sunday school has an wide-spread institution for younger children appears to have developed in the Northern states during the mid-19th century. Before this children were taken to church with their parents without any real effort to develop age-appropriate materials and teaching methods. The same develoment was occuring in Victorian England. I'm not sure if English trends acted as a catalist or American Sunday schools. I have no information at this time on Sunday schools in Europen countries. This appears to have been a develpment in Protestant churches. The Baptists and Methodists were particularly active. Even before the end of the Civil War in 1865, northern missionaries headed south to both help bind the country together and spread the Gospel through opening Sunday schools.

Late 19th Century (1870-99)

Even before the end of the Civil War in 1865, northern missionaries headed south to promote Sunday schools and to help found organized black churche for the newly freed slaves. There was some attempt and integration, but they were not suceessful, especially after the end of Reconstruction. Soon southern churches were founding their own Sunday schools. These efforts wer so successful that by the turn of the 20th century, the Sunday school was just an an important element of religious life in the south as in the north--perhaps more important.



Figure 2.--This undated photograph looks to have been taken at about the turn of the century, probably the early 1900s. It looks to have been a Sunday school class. The two younger boys wear kneepants and long stockings, one a rather dapper suit. The older boys wear long pants.

Early 20th Century (1900-19)

Girls in the early 20th Century wore their best dresses to sunday school, often white dresses. Boys had more varied outfits. Younger boys before breeching still wore dresses, kilts, or tunics. Somewhat older boys might wear Fauntleroy or sailor suits. Buster Brown suits were also popular. Older boys wore suits. Norfolk suits with Eton colars were popular. At the turn of the century kneepants and long stockings were still common, but by the 1910s, short pants or knickers were mostly worn. Boys especially in Europe still commonly wore smocks, but I do not believe they were commonly worn to sunday school.

Inter-war and War Years (1920-45)

We have very little information on sunday schools during the inter-wars period at this time. We do have an image from a Russian Orthodox sunday school in New Jersey, we believe about 1930. The children are all dressed up in their best clothes.

Post War Years (1945-69)


Late 20th Century (1970-99)


Vacation Bible Schools

Another devlopment which occured after the growth of the public school system was vacaion bible school. Her children attended church schools for a short period during the summer. I'm not sure when this first began, but it seems to have been an accepted institution by the 1920s. It was especially popular with mothers hard-pressed to keep the kids occupied during the summer when school was not in session.

Skits and Pagents

One popular activity for Sunday School was to stage skits and pagents. The children might be dressed up as angels or Biblical characters to act out events in the Bible. The most common of course was the Christmas pagent and the birth of baby Jesus in the manger at Bethleham. There were many other Biblical skits and pagents. Some Sunday school classes would be dressed up and photographed like regulat school classes. Normally they would wear their best Sunday going to meeting clothes. We note some Sinday schools that dressed the children up in robes for a tableau-like portrait.

Personal Experiences

Wedding: Ring bearers--1995







HBC





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Created: April 7, 1998
Spell checked: November 20, 1998
Last updated: 4:01 AM 8/7/2009