Figure 1.--This English CDV shows a member of the Wade Gery family--Richard Wade-Gery. The portrait was taken in 1873 at the William Ball studio, Broad Bridge St, Peterboro. Ruchard looks to be about 6 yeras old/ His hair is done in ringlet curls at the back. He weaes a cut-away jacket suit with a vest and knee pants. Notice the piping on the jacket sand vest. We see his hat on the floor. It might have at the time been called a sailor hat. It looks like a boater, but with somewhat high sides. His long-stockings match the suit. Richard married Margaret Hogarth Morrison about 1894. He was listed in the census as a 'farmer' (1901). This would have meant that he was a landowner. He and Margasret had a 5-year old daughter, Hester, and they lived in Kensington. This suggests that they had a substantisal farm, probably near Peterboro.

We have some limited information about the chronology of cut-away jackets in England. Cut-away jackets were a popular style for younger boys throughout Europe and North America. Suits with cut-away jackets were popular in the mid-19th century for younger boys. We do not yet have information on the 1840s. We have some limited information about the 1850s. The Daguerreotypes and ambrotypes taken in the 1850s were much less common in England. We beloeve they existd un the 50s, in part because we have American examples. We believe that cut-away jackets were worn in the 1850s, but do not yet have any English photographic evidence to support this. We have much more information with the 1860s when CDVs were taken in large numbers. With the appearance of the CDV, we have many examples from the 1860s. A good early example was Ernst Frederick in 1861. We see them being commonly worn in the 1860s and 70s by younger school-age boys. English boys masy have worn cut-away jackets Tn the late-50s. We can not yet confirm thsat. We see cut-away jackets in the 80s, but mostly as part of Fauntleroy suits that became popuilar in the decade. Our information is still limited, but we think that they were most common in the 1860s and the early-70s. They seem to have begun to decline in popularity in the mid-70s. This also needs to be confirmed. They were much less common by the 1880s with the exceotion of the Fauntleroy suit. Cut-away jackets were not widely worn in the 20th century, exceor for Fauntlerpy suits in the 1900s. By the 1910s they were no longer commonly worn. The style did not immiately disappear, but we no longer see any large numbers.

The 19th Century

We have some limited information about the chronology of cut-away jackets in England. Cut-away jackets were a popular style for younger boys throughout Europe and North America. We do nit have much information on the early20th century. Skeleton suits were the popular syle. We are notentirely sure when the cut-away jacket first appeared in England. Suits with cut-away jackets were popular in the mid-19th century for younger boys. We think the cut-away jackets originated in England, although we cn not yet demonstrate that. We do not yet have information on the 1840s. We have some limited information about the 1850s. The Daguerreotypes and ambrotypes taken in the 1850s were much less common in England. We beloeve they existd un the 50s, in part because we have American examples. English boys almost certainly wore cut-away jackets in the 1850s, but do not yet have any English photographic evidence to support this. And we are uncertain how prevalent they were. We have much more information with the 1860s when CDVs began to be taken in large numbers. With the appearance of the CDV, we have many examples from the 1860s. A good early example was Ernst Frederick in 1861. The Watson boys in 1863 are another exmple. We see them being commonly worn in the 1860s and 70s by younger school-age boys. English boys masy have worn cut-away jackets Tn the late-50s. We can not yet confirm thsat. We see cut-away jackets in the 80s, but mostly as part of Fauntleroy suits that became popuilar in the decade. Our information is still limited, but we think that they were most common in the 1860s and the early-70s. They seem to have begun to decline in popularity in the mid-70s. This also needs to be confirmed. Cut-away jackets were much less common by the 1880s with the exceotion of the Fauntleroy suit.

The 20th Century

Cut-away jackets were a major style for younger boys in the second half of the 19 century. And we continue to see some in the very early-20th century, especially the 1900s. They continued to be worn as part of Fauntleroy outfits. Most of the examples we have found were worn with Fauntleroy or Eton collars. These fancy outfits were declinhg for boys but we still see quite a few in the photographic record. A good example is an unidentified boy about 1900-05. And this continued into the 1910s. World War I erupted in the middle of the decade destroying the comfotytbled fixed society of an ordered, stable Europe. It had a profound impact on European society and this included fashion. The War made for practicality and plain styles. Rationing was a factor, but the temper of the day made fashion and frivolity seem out of place. This of course had the greatest imopct on womemn who were the most inclined to fancy dress. But it also impacred how mothers dressed children. And Fauntleroy outfits seem just not right fir the times. They did not disappear, but declined significantly. We continue to see these jackets into the 1920s, but wer no longer a majior style. The photograophic record suggests that these cut-away jackets were mostly worn by boys from well-to-do families, mostly with short pants and socks. We also see some Fauntleroy blouses. We continue to see a few examples into the 1930s. They continued to be asoociated with Fauntleroy ourfits. The style did not entirely disappear, but we no longer see any large numbers. Rather we begin to see a relted style--junior Eton suits. This was, however, more common in America.

Created: 12:20 AM 10/2/2009
Last updated: 2:56 AM 12/14/2018