Figure 1.--This Rhode Island cabinet portrait shows the three Drowne boys identified as Chrissie, Robbie and Fred Drowne. The boys proper names were Christopher Stafford, Robert Holden, and Frederick Peabody Drowne. We are not sure who is who, but the yonger by is Frederick. Only two of the boys have been breeched. Here the boys wear a dress, a kilt suit, and a knee pants suit. Family images like this help to clarify breeching conventions. The boys look to be about 2-7 years old. A reader tells us that Frederick was born in 1880, the portrait would have been taken about 1882.

This Rhode Island cabinet card portrait shows the three Drowne boys identified as Chrissie, Robbie and Fred Drowne (figure 1). The studio photographer was Brownell & Co., 90 Westminster St, Providence, Rhode Island. We are not sure entirely sure whi nis who, but the younger middle bot is Frederick. The boys proper names were Christopher Stafford, Robert Holden, and Frederick Peabody Drowne. These names were from our own research. The card uses only their identifies sentimental names. Only two of the boys have been breeched. Here the boys wear a dress, a kilt suit, and a knee pants suit. Family images like this help to clarify breeching conventions. The boys look to be about 2-7 years old. The two boys wearing skirted outfits are clearly pre-school boys, we would say about 2-4 years old. A reader tells us that Frederick was born in 1880 so the portrait dates to about 1882.

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Created: 6:11 PM 4/15/2008
Last edited: 4:05 AM 5/24/2025