Figure 1.--We at first thought this was an English family, in part because of the bands on the boy's knee socks which were his school socks. The elder gentleman, however, looks very German to us.

Here we have an unidentified family portrait which looks to us was taken in the 1920s. A reader sent it to us, but knows nothing about it. We are not sure about the country. We think it is British, primarily because of the bands on the boy's knee socks which would have beenhis schooln socks. We have seen German boys with these knee socks, but not very commonly. We note British boys wearing these socks for both school and Scouts. The socks here look raher like school socks to us. The family, however, could be German. The gentleman to the left looks German rather English to us. The womwn's dresses we think could have been worn in either Germany or England. Perhaps HBC readers might have some ideas here. A reader writes,"I believe your are right about this family's being German rather than English. I think the boy's shoes look German as also does the decoration on his lapel. This boy looks about 14 or 15. Did English school boys wear short pants suits at this age? We know that German boys wore short pants this late, but I'm not sure about English boys." I think in the 1920s some 14-15 year old Wnglish boys did wear shorts, but many had begun wearing long pants as well, especially boys from woking-class families (who had mostly left school) and ironically boys from very affluent families like this. Another reader has pointed out some wome has written what looks like "Mason" in the lower right. This of course sounds like a British name. Another reader writes, " It is difficult to be sure. Why do you think it is German? Surely most British schools that had a uniform which included special socks such as the boy is wearing would also apply the same colours to ties, caps, blazers, sometimes pullovers. The boy does not - apart from his socks - appear to be wearing a British school uniform. It would be slightly unusual to wear the socks alone - the family looks well-off - and could easily afford to buy him different non-school socks."

Created: August 30, 2003
Last updated: August 30, 2003