Figure 1.--Argentines closely followed European styles in the early-20th century. Here we see an Argentine family, probably in the 1920s. Note all three boys are dressed identically in sailor suits.

We are just beginning to work on the Argentine section of HBC. We have few images at this time, but we gave begun to collect some family images. We note Argentine mothers like European mothers following a variety of conventions such as dressing the children in identical or similar outfits. We note many of the same styles we hsve seen un Erurope. A factort here was thar Argentina like Ameriva attrached European immogrants. Many came from Spain and Italy.

The 19th Century

Sarmiento Family(1855)

We note a portrait of the Crilio Sarmiento family. We believe that they are members of the Argentine elite anbd related to an Argentine presuident. The boys are noth dressed un tunic suits with smzall lace collars. One probbly both ear white long pants with the tunics.

Stueck Family (1880s)

Most immigrants to Argentina came from Italy to Spain, but there were also smaller number of immigrants from many other European countries. A Dutch reader tells us that a branch of hiis family immigrated to Argentina in the late 20th century. Sailor suits were a popular style for boys in both the lare 19tyh century and the early 20th century. The two boys, his uncles, both wear identical sailor suits.

The 20th Century

Unidentified Italian Family (1900s)

This unidentified Argntine cabinet card shows what looks like an established Argentine family. There are four children, two girls, a boy, and a baby of unknowm gender. The potrait is undated, but the dealer believes that the portrat was taken in the early-1900s. We are unsure, but the man's outfit does look like after the turn-of-the 20th century. His hat looks rather Itlian. The children look about 1-12 years of age. The girls wear fancy identical dresses, although the older gurls seems to have sort of over-the shoulder collar. Both have twin hair bows. The boy seems to be wearing a Fauntleroy knickers velvet suit with a large pin-on lace collar. We are not sure about the color, but it could be gray instead of the more common black or dark color. His jacket collar is laid over the lace collar which was unusual. Notice that he wears socks rather than long stockings.

Volga German Family (1908)

This is the Kaspar Mueller family in 1908. They were Volga Germans. We are not sure when they emigrated to Argentina. After the outbreak of World War I qnd the the subsequent Bloshevik Revolution, the Volga Germans were no longer to emigrate.

Unknown Family (early 1920s)

This Argentine family is unidentified (figure 1). Somehow it made its way to a dealer in the United States. He reports that it was a Buenos Aires family. There is no other informnation associated with the portrait. We would guess, however, that the photograph was taken in the early 1920s. The late 1910s is possible, but we do not believe it was taken beyond the mid 1920s. Mother has dressedc the children in identical short pants sailor suits (figure 1). We know knothing about the family, but suspect they may be of Italian ancestry. The boys are dresses identiacally, but notice that while the younger boys have hair cut in bangs, the older boy has a fifferebnt style. Note how the sailor scarves are tied. We have notived German boys wsith scarves tied like this. We are not sure about Italy and Spain.

Grandmother and the Grandkids (about 1930)

Here we see a large, unidentified Argentine family. The portrait is undated, but was taken about 1930. It could be from the late-1920s or early 30s. We are not sure, but it looks to be the grandmother with all the grandkids. They range from babies to teenagers and young adults. The boys wear sailor suits and regukar short onts suits. The younger children wear strap shoes. The girls wear stylish dresses. The studio with the location is not identified, but a well-to-do Buenos Aires family is likely. The portrait has been tinted to add color.

Fashionable Siblings (1932)

Here we see three Argentine siblings, probably from Buenos Aires where the portrait was found. A notation on the back suggests 1932 with a question mark. Unfortunately we do not know their nmes. These children come, pretty obviously, from a rather upper-class Argentinian family given the clothes and hair styles. They are all dressed in fashionable European styled clothes. The boy is wearing a European-style suit such as that we might find in a city such as Berlin. The boy looks to be about 14 years old. He could easily be from Germany, the girls' hair styles and dresses, howeve, do not look very German. The young man is smartly dressed in a short trousers single breasted suit with white shirt and tie, black long stockings (obviously worn with a garter waist since there is no wrinkling at the knees) and low-cut black dress shoes. The girls are wearing white or at least light colored dresses with white ankle or three-quarter-length socks. This is pretty obviously a studio portrait. The sisters are wearing fashionable 1930s hair-dos. One of the girls may be slightly older than her brother whereas the other one is clearly younger.

First Communion Family Event (late-1950s)

Here we see a proud Argebtine family with their son dressed up for his First Communion service. He would be about 6 years old. He wears a white short pants suit with a white tie and white knee socks. Since everything is white it is hard to see the details, but he also has a whte tie, white leeve bow, and white gloves. The portrait is not dateds, but we would guess was taken in the late-1950s. We note Argentine boys wearing both light and dark suits. A few boys wore sailor suits.

Created: 10:35 PM 11/17/2004
Last updated: 1:48 AM 6/24/2021