English Boys' Headwear: Peaked Military Caps


Figure 1.-- English boys like German boys wore peaked military caps. They seem to be identical to caps worn by the military. We believe both the Army and Navy used these caps. You can see one on the able here. This CDV was taken in Yarmouth. The unidentified boy looks to be about 6-7 years of age. This may be how he dressed for school, but we do not think it was a uniform. It is undated, but we would guess was taken in the 1860s.

English boys like German boys wore peaked military caps during the 19th century. They seem to be identical to caps worn by the military. We believe both the Army and Navy used these caps. It also became a popular style for boys. We see boys wearing them with tunics, sailor suits, cut-away jackets and other outfits. Some boys wore them to school at mid-century, but we do not know if any school actually adopted them as part of a required uniform. As far as we can tell this was not the case. We do not yet know the precise chronology, because our archive is fairly Wesee these caps in the 1860s and 70s after the appearance of the CDV, we believe, however, that the time span is much wider. We are not sure when boys began wearing them. We suspect about the 1820s, although the 1810s is possible because it was a Napolonic war style. This is a little hard to track because photograph was not yet invented. These caps seem a well established style at mid-century. We do notice boys wearing themn in the 1850s and 60s. We see them worn with tassels in the early-19th century. We do not see kepis in England, another miltary style popular in France and America. They seem to decline in popularity during the 1870s. They were not as common in England as in Germany. Boys in England were much more likely to wear sailor caps or hats with their sailor suits. We have, however, noted a few images of English boys with these peaked military caps. The English caps don't seem to have been more stiff and taller than the German caps. We are not sure what the age conventions were, but believe they were primarily school-age boys. We see, however, some pre-school boys with these caps. A good example is an unidentified Kendington boy in 1869.

Origins

English boys like German boys wore peaked military caps during the 19th century. They seem to be identical to caps worn by the military. Military stylkes wee commoin inspiration for both men and boys styles. We believe both the Army and Navy used these caps.

Termiology

we are not sure what to call these caps. A basic decription is apeaked military cap. Perhaps a good name is cadet cap, although English boys did not wear them as part of a military school uniform. They seemed to have been moreof a school cap deriving from miltary styles. They look simlar to the German school caps.

Popularity

These peaked caps became a popular style for boys. We note several boys earing them in the photograohic record at mid-century, a least for boys from comfortble middle-class families. W o not believe they were worn to any extent by working-class boys. .

Accompanying Styles

We see boys wearing them with tunics, sailor suits, cut-away jackets and other outfits. We see quite few boys wearing these caps with cut-away jackets. This does not appear to be because there was any connection with the style, but only because the two styles were popular at the same time. This was especially true in the 1860s. A good example is an unidentified London boy, we think in the 1860s.We beliee these caps were popular erlier bedfore we have photograpjic images and probably would have been wirn with skeletn suits in the early-19th century.

School Wear

Some boys wore them to school at mid-century, but we do not know if any school actually adopted them as part of a required uniform. As far as we can tell this was not the case.

Chronology

We do not yet know the precise chronology of these peaked caps because our archive is fairly limited. We see these caps in the 1860s and 70 with the appearnce of the CDV. We believe, however, that the time span is much wider. We are not sure when boys began wearing them. We suspect about the 1820s, although the 1810s is possible because it was a Napoleonic war style. This is a little hard to track because photography was not yet invented. These caps seem a well established style at mid-century. This is difficult to assess with precision. Photography was invented--the Daguerrotype (1839). But we have found very few Englis Dags (1840s-50s) and Ambros (1855-60). We do notice boys wearing them in the 1860s. The appearance of the CDV makes large numbers of photographs avialble for the first time (1860s). The boy here is a good example. These milkitary-style peajed cap are also found in the 1870s, nut appear to begin declining in popularity. We are still assessing decade popularity trends.

Styling

We see them worn with tassels in the early-19th century. We do not see kepis in England, another miltary style popular in France and America. The English caps don't seem to have been more stiff and taller than the German caps.

Country Trends

These peaked caps were not as common in England as in Germany. Boys in England were much more likely to wear sailor caps or hats with their sailor suits. We have, however, noted a few images of English boys with these peaked military caps.

Age Trends

We are not sure what the age conventions were, but believe they were primarily school-age boys. The boy here looks to be about 6-7 years old (figure 1). We see, however, some pre-school boys with these caps. A good example is an unidentified Kendington boy in 1869. He looks to be about 5 years old.







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Created: 4:13 AM 6/3/2011
Last updated: 4:39 AM 7/21/2016