Figure 1.--We have noted German boys wearing bangs done in various styles. This boys bangs are fuller than many we have seen. Also note how long the front fringe is. Bangs in the early 20th century were most common for younger boys. We are unsure how to date this portrait, but would guess the 1920s. Notice the suspender (probably H-bar) shorts and long stockngs. Also notice the classic teddy as well as another stuffed animal I do not recognize. Click on the image for inforrmation on German teddies.

HBC has noted German boys wearing bangs, but we do not yet know how common this hair style was and how it has varied over time in Germany. We note German boys wearing bangs in both the 19th and 20th century. In the early 20th century, Dutch boy bangs (probably called page boy cuts) were popular for through their early teens. The Germans use "pony" or "ponies" terms of course derived from English. According to a dictionary, the word is used for the hair cut, because a pony has a similar fringed mane. This would explain its British word "fringe". An older form for "pony" (a juvenile horse) is "powny", Old French "poulenet", French "poulain" is from Latin "pullanus": "pullus" meaning "foal". Both terms were introduced in German during the 19th century. This of course would be confused in English where a "pony tail" hair cut is a girl's hair style where the hair is shaped into one or two stands that are worn behind the head, much like a "quque" that men wore in the 18th century. Bangs were worn by both boys and girls. Many 19th century images are not identified and children with the bangs hair style are difficult to assess unless other clues are provided in the portrait. Bangs seem to have been popular for younger boys in the early 20th century. The length and styling of bangs varied some what. Bangs never disappeared, but became especially popular in the 1970s--perhaps one of the many cultural impacts of the Beatles. The bangs worn in the 1970s were generally worn with longer haie at the sides and back than was the case in early 20th century bangs.

Chronology

HBC has noted German boys wearing bangs, but we do not yet know how common this hair style was and how it has varied over time in Germany. We note German boys wearing bangs in both the 19th and 20th century. Bangs do not seem nearly as common in the 19th century as they were in the 20th century. Of course our more limited archive of 19th century images may be a factor here. A good example of German boys wearing bangs in the early 20th century is information developed on two Desseldorf brothers. Bangs never disappeared, but became especially popular in the 970s--perhaps one of the many cultural impacts of the Beatles. The bangs worn in the 1970s were generally worn with longer haie at the sides and back than was the case in early 20th century bangs.

Terminology

In the early 20th century, Dutch boy bangs (probably called page boy cuts) were popular for through their early teens. The Germans use "pony" or "ponies" terms of course derived from English. According to a dictionary, the word is used for the hair cut, because a pony has a similar fringed mane. This would explain its British word "fringe". An older form for "pony" (a juvenile horse) is "powny", Old French "poulenet", French "poulain" is from Latin "pullanus": "pullus" meaning "foal". Both terms were introduced in German during the 19th century. This of course would be confused in English where a "pony tail" hair cut is a girl's hair style where the hair is shaped into one or two stands that are worn behind the head, much like a "quque" that men wore in the 18th century.

Gender

Bangs were worn by both boys and girls. Many 19th century images are not identified and children with the bangs hair style are difficult to assess. We often can not tell if the child is a boy or girl unless other clues are provided in the portrait, especially props.

Age Trends

Age conventions for bangs have varied over time. We are not yet sure about conventions during the 19th cedntury. More information is available on the 20th century. Bangs seem to have been popular for younger boys in the early 20th century. We see them nuch more commonly worn by younger than older boys. Boys as they got older seem to have wanted hair they combed over at the front. This seems especially true by thee times boys reached about 11-12 years of age. We see these age conventions changing. We note younger teenagers wearing bangs in the 1970s, perhaps an influence from the Beatles.

Styles

Bangs for German boys were cut in many different styles. The length and styling of bangs varied somewhat over time. Here the difeerences include the length and direction of the front bangs. There are also differences in the hair styling at the sides. This can be independent of the actual bangs cut at the front, but is part of the hair sryle. Here the major difference is length. And this can vary from straigh-back-and sides to long shoulder length hair. Anerican boys commonly wore bangs with righlet curls, but you do bot see this in Germany. We note one unidentified boy probably in the 1910s with rather short cut bangs. The boy here probably in the 1920s has long bangs cut almost to his eyebrows (figure 1).

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Created: 5:58 AM 6/20/2004
Last updated: 6:13 PM 11/4/2006