Figure 1.--These unidentified boys were from LaCrosse, Wisconsin. They may have been German immigrants. The candle suggests that one of the boys was doing his First Communion. The portrait is undated, but we think was taken in the 1890s. The studio was F.W. Mould. We begin to see First Communion portraits for the first time in numbers during the 1890s.

Photography became widely available at modest prices in the late-19th Century. Many mothers considered their children's First Communion an important event for photography and more and nore families could afford it--including the wave of European immigrants following the Civil war. Many of these immigrants were Catholic and this was significantly increasing the Catholic population in America. Irish and Itlalian Americans were generally low-income families, but many by the 1890s were making substantial economic profgess and the cost of a portrait had declined substantially since mid-century. Many could afford a visit to the photography studio for an important event like a boy's First Communion. For the first time we see a substantial number of boys dressing up in new suits for First Communion for the first time. Buying a new suit was no small mstter for a working-class family. We suspect that most could not have affiorded it in Europe. In America, many could. We have not found nearly as many First Communion portraits as we see after the turn-of-the 20th century, but we begin to see examples during the 1890s. We think the primary difference between the 1890s and 1900s was the growing income and success of immigrants. White suits were still not common in the late 19th Century. Nor were white stockings commonly worn. We do see boys wearing fancy Funtleroy outfits in the 90s.

First Communion Portraits

Photography became widely available at modest prices in the late-19th Century. Many mothers considered their children's First Communion an important event for photography and more and nore families could afford it--including the wave of European immigrants following the Civil war. Many of these immigrants were Catholic and this was significantly increasing the Catholic population in America. Irish and Itlalian Americans were generally low-income families, but many by the 1890s were making substantial economic progress. Notably wage rates were well above European levels, including the most prosperous Europen countries, especially the Protestant countries of northern Europe. . And the cost of a portrait had declined substantially since mid-century. Many could afford a visit to the photography studio for an important event like a boy's First Communion.

Celebration

What is not clear to us if the conventions fror First Communion were changing. Here both Church polifies and the increasing success of Catholics in american may have been involved. We do not yet know about the Church. But it is clear that by the 1890s, Catholic Churches were no longer unusual. They were increasing in number and acceptnce by a lagely Protestant country. There were different movers here. One, was the increasing economic success of Catholic workers. The old axium 'money talks' should not be discounted. Two, in a democratic country, hgrowing numbers of Catholics meant more Catholic voters whocould make their opinions count. In the 1890s this still meant primarily local elections, but in the next century they would impact national elections. And three, more churches were sponsoring prochial schools which could help organize first communions in a major way. And Catholic families were changing as rising wages was enabling them to achieve the American dream. American text books often focus on the deplorable conditioins in the croded big cities without mention that workers in America had substantially higher wages han in Europe, even the most sucessful countries like Brittain, France, and Germany. It may be that Catholic famolies were making more of an event out of First Communion because they had the financial whgere-with-all to do so.

Dressing Up

For the first time we see a substantial number of boys dressing up in new suits for First Communion for the first time. Buying a new suit was no small matter for a working-class family. We suspect that most could not have afforded similar celebrations it in Europe. In America, an increasing number of catholics could. We have not found nearly as many First Communion portraits as we see after the turn-of-the 20th century, but we begin to see examples during the 1890s. We think the primary difference between the 1890s and 1900s was the growing income and success of immigrants. White suits were still not common in the late-19th Century. Nor were white stockings commonly worn. We do see boys wearing fancy Funtleroy outfits in the 90s. This is important because it looks like Catholic families were npt purchasing outfdits specifically for First Communion. A white suit would have had only limited use after First Communion. What parents did was the practical step of buying a new standard suit that the boy could have worn for best after the his First Communion celebration. We are not sure about the junior wedding dresses that girls began wearing.

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Created: 8:58 PM 8/25/2010
Last edited: 5:19 PM 10/9/2014