Figure 1.--Here we see two identified brothers. We thought this mught be an ambro, but the dealer identifies it as a tintype. It is not dated, but the cased frame suggests the 1850s, perhaps the very early-60s. Notice the fancy top the younger boy is wearing over some kind of shirt-like garment which you can see at the wrist cuff.

Younger boys even after breeching did not wear suits. Suits were not as common for boys as they becamne in the 1860s. We see younger boys wearing various tiops. Some look rther like blouses with fancy styling. We are noit sure what they were called at the time, but in many instances we can see collared or long-sleeved garments underneated. We can only collect images of these tops to develop information. There was a great variety of these tops. Ready made clothing was no available to any extent before the Civil War (1861-65). Clothing for younger children was commonly sewed at home or purchased in millaneries. This meant that there was much more variety in the first half of the century than the second half.

Created: 2:53 AM 6/16/2018
Last updated: 2:53 AM 6/16/2018