Figure 1.--Here we see a CDV portrait of an unidentified English boy. The dealer thought he was wearing a school uniform because a companion portait show another boy identically dressed and photographed on the same day. We think the other boy is more likely to be his younger brother. We have not noticed school uniforms with cut-away jackets. The portrait is undated, but we would guess was taken in the early- or mid-1870s. The studio operator was John Thomas who had galleries in Liverpool and Llangollen. Click on the umage to see his older brother.

We have very limited information on the colors of the long stockings worn by English children. The black and white photography of the day makes it impossible to determine what color the stockings were from the photographic record. We can spot white stockings. They are the easiest tonidentify. Black stockings are a little more difficult, but still can be spotted with a fair degree of accuracy. Our information is very limited even fore the mid-19th century as we have found very few Dags abnd Anbris. With the appearance of the CDV, we know much more. We note boys wearing white stockings in the 1860s and early-70s. A good example is Ernst Frederick in 1861. This was also the case in America. Colored stockings seem more common. We cannot, however, tell what the color hues were. We know that a range of colors were worn in America. This included bright ciolors like red. We suspect thast the sane was true in Bruitain, but can not yet confirm this. Most of the images we have found come from the 19th century. Boys began wearing socks by the 20th century. Some girls wore long stockings into the 1930s, mostly as part of school uniforms at conservative schools. Not only were their different colors, but color preferences varied over time. We also think there were some age and color differences. This of course was before color photography was available to any extent. We do not yet have catalog information or vintage clothing that will help with the color infotmation.

Black

Black stockings are a little more difficult to spot than white stiocvkings, but still can be spotted with a fair degree of accuracy. We beliece that they were very common.

Blue

Red

We have very limited information on the colors of the long stockings worn by English children. The black and white photography of the day makes it impossible to determine what color the stockings were from the photographic record. Colored stockings seem more common. We cannot, however, tell what the color hues were. We know that a range of colors were worn in America. This included bright ciolors like red. We suspect thast the sane was true in Bruitain, but can not yet confirm this. Most of the images we have found come from the 19th century. Boys began wearing socks by the 20th century. Some girls wore long stockings into the 1930s, mostly as part of school uniforms at conservative schools. Not only were their different colors, but color preferences varied over time. We also think there were some age and color differences. This of course was before color photography was available to any extent. We do not yet have catalog information or vintage clothing that will help with the color information.

White

We note white hosiery in the earkly 19th century worn with long pants skekleton suits. We beloeve boy began wearing white long stockings as soon as shiortened-length pants appeared for younger boys, we beliecve in the 1830s. Photography appeared in the 1840s which nbegin to provide more vinformation. We can spot white stockings fairly easily in the photographic record. They are the easiest to identify. Our information is very limited even fore the mid-19th century as we have found very few Dags and Ambros. We do see some white long stockings in the 1850s. With the appearance of the CDV, we know much more. We note many boys wearing white stockings in the 1860s and early-70s. A good example is Ernst Frederick in 1861. We continue to see boys with white stiockings into the 1870s. The unidentified boy hre is an example (figure 1). White stockings were also common in America at the time. They seem to be as commonm for boys as girls at least the boysing shortened-length pants. After the 1870s they beconme much less common for boys. We continue to see white long stockings after the turn-of-th 20th century, but they do not seem very common. We do ciontunue to see them, however intob the 1910s.

Created: 6:38 AM 1/29/2010
Last updated: 7:10 AM 7/21/2013