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The early-20th century is the first time that we note large numbers of First Communion portraits. We have found very few 19th century first conmunion portraits. We have found several portraits of American boys doing their First Communion that are dated and this provide us some insights into the early-20th century trends. Even without dates, we can usually establish the decade by assessing the fashions and mout styles. Of course this not only provides insights on First Communion styles, but on how boys were dressing up for other formal occassions as well. Thus often the boys in the early 1920s wearing solid colored dark socks are wearing long stockings rather than knee socks. A good example here is Grant Fahvenbach about 1910. This was still seen in the 1930s, but was not very common. We note a lot of boys wearing blouses in the 1900s, but by the 1910s actual suits seem increasingly common. The increasing popularity of First Communion portraits is in part a new convention being established. A major actor, however, is the increasing integration and rising income of the European immigrants that flowed nto the United States during the late-19h cenntury. Therewas a substantial cost associated with these portaits. It was not so much the cst of the portait itself, but the suits that boys tended to wear for their First Communins. Many of these immigrants came from largely Catholic southern Europe. As a result, the population of Catholic Americans increased substantially.
The early-20th century is the first time that we note large numbers of First Communion portraits. We have found very few 19th century First Conmunion portraits. Catholic parents as best we can tell, rarely had First Comminion portraits taken in the 19th century. We are not sure why we suddely begin seeing large numbers of First Communion portraits after the turn-of-the 20th century. We have found several portraits of American boys doing their First Communion that are dated and this provide us some insights into the early-20th century trends. Even without dates, we can usually establish the decade by assessing the fashions and mount styles. Knee pants suits were standard in the 100s and this can be used to date the portraits. Suddenly we begin to see kicker suits at the end of the decade about 1908-09. Younger boys continued to wear knee pants with blouses, but suits very quickly became done mostly with knicker pants. Of course this is not absolute, but knee pants are a very strong indicator that portraits with the right mounts were made in the 1900s. The nounts are very helpul in differenting between the 1890s and 1900s. Cabinet card mounts changed significantly at the turn-of-the century. And post card back portraits appear for the first time in the 1900s. These portraits not only provides insights on First Communion styles, but on how boys were dressing up for other formal occassions as well. The increasing popularity of First Communion portraits is in part a new convention being established. A major factor, however, is the increasing integration and rising income of the European immigrants that flowed into the United States during the late-19h cenntury. There was a substantial cost associated with these portaits. It was not so much the cst of the portait itself, but the suits that boys tendedto wear for their First Communions. Many of these immigrants came from largely Catholic southern Europe. As a result, the population of Catholic Americans increased substantially.
For reasons we do not understand, American boys suddenly switched from knee pants to knickers in the late-1900s. We see knickers in large numbers for the first time about 1908-09 thus for the first time we see boys wearing knicker suits. Knee pants did not entirely disappear. We see younger boys continuing to wear knee pants, sometimes with blouses and long white stockings when dressing up. First Communion suits in the 1910s mostly done with knickers and worn with long stockings. Some boys had knee pants outfits, but knickers were virtually universal in the 1910s. Boys mostly wore dark long stockings with the knickers as was the case with knee pants. The pants changed, but not the hosiery. And often the boys in the early-1920s wearing solid colored dark socks are wearing long stockings rather than knee socks. A good example here is Grant Fahvenbach about 1910. The fact that he is wearing just a blouse wihout a suit jacket may be an economy measute on mom's part. Catholic families wre mostly relatively recent immigrant families and still mostly working class, although some were beginning to enter the Americn mainstream. This was still seen in the 1930s, but was not very common. We note a lot of boys wearing blouses in the 1900s, but by the 1910s actual suits seem increasingly common. We interpret this as increasing ecinomic success of American Catholics.
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