Figure 1.-- This group cabinet card portarit came without any identifying information. We believe it is a church picnic from the 1890s. We get a wonderful view of popular fashions for men, women, and children. We believe it was a rural community in the west or mid-west. The seller reports it was with some Iowa images, there must have been some wooded araes in Iowa. This look like rural wooded area not a city or town park. Notice that the boys are wearing hats and not caps.

Religion was another activity to consider. Religion was still a very important aspect of American life. The social life of nany families were organized around their church. And there were activities for children beyond just attendiung sunday services. Many children attended sunday schools and events like First Communion and Confirmation were important. We do not yet have much chronological information on sunday schools. We do note a Wyoming sunday school in 1900. We have been unable to find many 1890s First Communion images. We believe a factor here is that except for the Irish, Catholics only began arriving in large numbers in the 1870s and it took time for these new Ameriacans to found churches and become established in American society. Thus we only begin to find First Comminion portatraits in the 1890s and really large number of images in the 1900s. We do see a number of group photographs that look to us to be church picnics. We welcome any other assessments readers might have. They provide elaborate details on popular fashion. The photographs we have found are not dated, but look like the 1890s to us. Again we welcome reader assessments. These images are quite valuable because of the numbers of people involved if all ages and both genders.

Sunday Services

Religion was another activity to consider. Religion was still a very important aspect of American life. The social life of nany families were organized around their church. And there were activities for children beyond just attendiung sunday services.

Scarements

Babies of course were baptised. This dependence somewhat on the denomintions. Some denomintions believe that infants are born without sin and are incapable of committing sin. Thus they have no need of baptism until age 8 years or so, when they n begin to learn to tell right from wrong and are thus accountable to God for their own actions. Other denomination lean more toward botising yiung dults. And events like First Communion and Confirmation were important. We do not yet have much chronological information on sunday schools. We have been unable to find many 1890s First Communion images. We believe a factor here is that except for the Irish, Catholics only began arriving in large numbers in the 1870s and it took time for these new Ameriacans to found churches and become established in American society. Thus we only begin to find First Communion portatraits in the 1890s and really large number of images in the 1900s. Another sacrement is marriage and children can have roles in marriage such as ring bearers and flower girls.

Choirs

Altar Boys

Sunday Schools

Many children attended sunday schools. Chikdren were incouraged to memorize Bible verses. Many Ameriucan churches historically held sunday schools in the afternoon. We are not sure about rural churches. In the 1930s churches began shifting to sunday morning and was done instead of or in addition to the regular servive. Much attentiin was given ti the actual program.

Church Picnics

We do see a number of group photographs that look to us to be church gathgerinhgs, probably picnics. WSe are noy sure what else the grouoos could be. They obviously have something in common. We welcome any other assessments readers might have. They provide elaborate details on popular fashion. The photographs we have found are not dated, but look like the 1890s to us. Again we welcome reader assessments. These images are quite valuable because of the numbers of people involved if all ages and both genders. Of course, thse were summer events, commonly one of thigh points of the church calendar for gthe summer. . In addition to good eats, there was also games for the kids kike the sack race and three-legged race. Churches established traditions of picnics which in some cases date back more than a century. There might also be raffels and foirthe young adults a little courting,.

Created: 12:20 AM 7/6/2021
Last updated: 12:20 AM 7/6/2021