Figure 1.--This cabinet cards shows four unidentified, but beautifully posed childre, two boys and two girls. The children look to be about 5-13 years old. The portrait is undated, but because of prize medals won in European competitioms, we can date the portrait to about 1886-87. The girls wear identical white dresses with flounces, reuffles, and smocking. The boys wear two British boys' standards, the sailor suit and the Eton suit. The older boy is probably wearing his cchool uniform. Fewer older boys wore sailor suits compared to many other European vountries. The younger boy may not have begun school yet. The studio was H.W Watson in Gloucester.

This cabinet cards shows four unidentified, but beautifully posed childre, two boys and two girls. The children look to be about 5-13 years old. The portrait is undated, but because of prize medals won in European competitioms e can dte the portrait to 1886-87. The girls wear identical white dresses with flounces, reuffles, and smocking. The boys wear two British boys' standards, the sailor suit and the Eton suit. Fewer older boys wore sailor suits compared to many other European vountries. The younger boy may not have begun school yet. We see many boys in primary school wearing sailor suits. At the time boys from well-to-do families tended to enroll in private preparatory boarding schools at about 8 years of age. These schools had uniforms and thus many English boys stopped waring sailior suits at this age. It was wealthy, fahionable people that set styles at the time. School uniforms varied, but the Eton-tyle was adopted at several schools. The studio was H.W. Watson in Gloucester.

Created: 5:38 AM 9/3/2024
Last updated:12:28 AM 2/3/2025