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A HBC reader found this first communion photo in an antique shop in Madison, New York not far from Colgate University. It is marked 1924 on the back but with no designation of location. I suspect it comes from
the northeast--either upper New York state or New England. Most of the items in this shop are from this area, we were informed. The children (about 8 or 9 years old) comprise quite a large class of first communicants--obviously from a substantial Catholic church. American boys did not commonly wear long stockings, but we notice quite an number of younger boys in the early-20th century wearing white long stockings for formal occassions. White communion suits with white long stockings have quite a history in
American Cathlolic tradition. Here are some links that would make the
image more interesting in context. We have a similar image on HBC from
the 1930s (I think) of an unknown Catholic school that would be
interesting for comparison, but somehow I can't locate it. This is
another reason that links are so important to have. See the following:
St. Anthony's (1917)
Beaver's father: "Leave it to Beaver" was a long-running TV series from the 1950s. In one episode, Beaver's father remembers wearing white long stockings as a boy and hated it. This reference must have come from Hufh Beaumon's boyhood experoences or one of the writers.
Boy in long white stockings, first communion 1920s
St. James Church (1929)
White suit and stockings (1930s)
Unidentified church (1930s)
Navigate the Historic Boys' First Communion pages:
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[Return to the Main individual American First Communion 1920s page]
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