Figure 1.-- Here two children stand near their father and more or less identically dressed. The younger child, probably a boy, looks to be about 4-5 years old. The older noy looks to be about 8-9 years old. We don't know the names or the location. The photo was apparently taken in autumn or winter because of the overcoats and hats the two children are wearing. They also wear the new light tan or beige long stockings that had begun to be popular and that eventually superseded the older popular color, black. The source refers to the circular caps with turned up edges as "Mützen", but the term is generally used in German for any kind of cap. It looks rather like American navy swabie caps. It is not a style we notice commomly in Germany. Note that the cap is considered equally appropriate for boys and girls. The children also wear black leather low-cut shoes. We would judge these children to be from an upper-class or upper-middle-class family and probably from a fair-sized city. These are not rural clothes but dressy outfits appropriate for church or shopping expeditions. Both children are undoubtedly wearing Strapsleibchen (bodices with four hose supporters).

Here two children stand near their father and more or less identically dressed. The younger child, probably a boy, is about 4-5 and the older boy is about 8-9 years old. We don't know the names or the location. The photo was apparently taken in autumn or winter because of the overcoats and hats the two children are wearing. They also wear the new light tan or beige long stockings that had begun to be popular and that eventually superseded the older popular color, black. The source refers to the circular caps with turned up edges as "Mützen", but the term is generally used in German for any kind of cap. It looks rather like American navy swabie caps. It is not a style we notice commomly in Germany. Note that the cap is considered equally appropriate for boys and girls. The children also wear black leather low-cut shoes. We would judge these children to be from an upper-class or upper-middle-class family and probably from a fair-sized city. These are not rural clothes but dressy outfits appropriate for church or shopping expeditions. Both children are undoubtedly wearing Strapsleibchen (bodices with four hose supporters).

Country

We afirst though the children here were German. Long stockings were commonly worn by German children. The caps, however, do not look right for Germany. The problem is that we do not see caps like this being worn by any European chidren. We do see American children weraring them, but not for dresswear. And we only see these caps beding sorn in white by American children. We think the children are European, but not are at all sure abouut the country.

Chronology

The photograph is undated. The clothing, especially the tan long stockings and low-cut shoes suggest the 1930s to us. We would guess the late-1930s.

Clothing

The children are more or less identically dressed. The photo was apparently taken in autumn or winter because of the overcoats and hats the two children are wearing. They also wear the new light tan or beige long stockings that had begun to be popular and that eventually superseded the older popular color, black. The source refers to the circular caps with turned up edges as "Mützen", but the term is generally used in German for any kind of cap. It looks rather like American navy swabie caps. It is not a style we notice commomly in Germany. Note that the cap is considered equally appropriate for boys and girls. The children also wear black leather low-cut shoes. The younger child wears Mary Jane strap shoes. Both children are undoubtedly wearing Strapsleibchen (bodices with four hose supporters).

Gender

We at first thought this was a boy and his younger sister. On closer examnation we think the younger child may be his little brother. The children are dressed almost identically. The only difference in addition to the hair is the shoes. As the younger child is quite young, bout 4-5 years of age, it is quite possible a boy might have longish hair like this. We have seen younger boys in the 30s with even longer hair. The child could be a girl, but we think a boy is more likely. As for the strap shoes. Both boys andd girls in Germany, Belgium, France and other coyntries sore them. We have noted nuch older boys than this wearing strap shoes.

Age

The younger child is about 4-5 and the older boy looks to be about 8-9 years old. Estimating ages is not exact, but we would be surprised the children are oitside these pasrameters. One reader believes the children are slightly older.

Scene

Here two children stand near their father or acoompanying adult. It looks to us that they are at the zoo looking through a chain-link fence. They seem a bit over-dressed for the zoo. This suggests they come from a wealthy family. The fact they are at a zoo means that they live in a large city.

The Children

We don't know the names or the location. We would judge these children to be from an upper-class or upper-middle-class family and probably from a fair-sized city. These are not rural clothes but dressy outfits appropriate for church or shopping expeditions.

Belgian Princes

We are not sure, but the children look rather like the Belgian princes in the 1930s. We are not positive, but it seems a possibility. Perhaps our Belgian readers will have a better idea on this. We do not note them wearing long stockings, but perhaps they were brought out for an outing on a chilly autumn day. The age and timing seem about right. We do not see their oldedr sister, but Baudouin was born in 1930 and Albert in 1934. This would mean the pgotyograph was taken in 1939 or 40. And we know that Prince Albert still had longish locks at about this time. The rather smart outfits are the way the boys were dressed. The caps, smart coats, trim long stockings, and stap shoes are not the way the ordinary children ast the time were dressed.