*** United States boys clothes: 1900s - family images








United States Boys' Clothes: Family Images (1900s)

American familes 1900s
Figure 1.--Charles Hart Spencer and his wife Mary Acheson Spenser were a prominent upper-middle-class family of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the late 1890s and early 1900s. They had seven children--two boys (Mark and Charles) and five daughters (Adeline, Kate, Ethel, Mary and Elizabeth). The two boys and three of the daughters are pictured here. The older boy presumably is a realative.

We have acquired images of several America families during the 1900s. They cover a wide range of families of varying social class, occupations, and regions. We see a range of different outfits worn by boys of different ages. There were wide differences in how children from different socil classes dressed as well as differences between urban and rural America. While we have images from a range of families, there are more images available from wealthy and middle-class families. In particular we do not have mages of the familes of child workers. There were still few labor laws protecting women and children. We see some of the different styles of headwear such as sailor caps and flat caps. We see tunic suits, sailor suits, and a variety of other outfits such as knee pants and knicker suits. Most boys wore knee pants and long stockings were still common. The images show the family in both formal and informal situations. The standards of the day required relatively formal clothing even for informal situations, but we see the begining of informal wear when compared to the 19th century. We see many younger children going barefoot, even in formal studio portraits. For some reason this seems moe common than in the 1890s. We do not think going barefoot was more common, but having barefoot children in formal studio portraits does seem mote common in the 1900s than any other decade. This seems most commom with low- or modest-income families in the South. One major change in the 1900s decade is that we suddenly see families not only in the studio, but infont of their homes. We see some photograhs like this in the 19th century, butniot many. After the turn-of-the-20th century we see many families along with their homes. This of course tells us much more about the family. And it was made possible by the new Kodak Brownie which created the family snapshot (1900). Thus from the beginning of the newc century, photograohy is no longer dominsted by studio photography.

Turn-of-the century: Hemphill Family (South Carolina)

Robert Reid Hemphill was the family patrisrch (1840-1908). His parents were William Ramsey Hemphill and Hannah Lind. He grew up in Abbeville County, South Carolina. He worked as editor for the Abbeville Medium as well as an attorney. Hemphill enlisted in the Confederate Army bduring the Civil War. He served as a sergeant in Company G of the 1st South Carolina Infantry Regiment. Following the war, he briefly practiced law in Cleburne, Texas, before returning to his home in Abbeville County. This is a large format (8 1/2 X 6 1/2 inch) cabinet card showing showing four boys, some of Hemphill's children. They lived in Abbeville, South Carolina. Hemphill was addressed as General in is later years despite serving as a Sgt Major. He was later elected as Secretary of the South Carolina Senate. The cabinert card does not have the normal studio informationm at the bottom of the page. The portrait is undated, but would have been taken in yhe very late-1890s or the early-1900s. We suspect it was the early-1900s. The boys look to be about 7-18 years old. The older boys wear suits, one with knee pants and the other with long pants. The younger boys wear shirts and knee pants. The youngest is barefoot. This is something we rarely see in the 19th century, but for some reason was common in the early-20th century, especially in the South.

Turn-of-the century: Unidentified Family (Ohio)

This cabinet card studio portrait show five beautifully dressed children will carefully done hair. The children are three girls and two boys, ienbtified as Lewis, Isabel, George, Marguerite, and Betavia. Presumably they are all siblings, but their last name is not indicated. The children look to be about 3-15 years old. The two boys look to be about 8-12 years old. The photograph was for 'Hattie and Mattie'. The two boys wear suits. The younger boy has a ruffled Fauntleroy collar. The older boy has a wing collar. The three girls have varied hair styles and white dresses. The portrait is not dated. We believe it was probably taken about 1900-05 because it was a new style mount. The very late 1980s is possible, but less likely. The mount measures 5-3/4" x 6-7/8, slightly larger than the classic cabinet card. The studio was Morse & Kirk of Hudson, Ohio.

1899-1918: Wealthy Family (Vermont)

The Brattleboo Historical Society has a wonderful collection of glass plate photos from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Rural and small town American life is portrayed in a superb collection featuring images from New England. Photographs of the Crown family is part of this collection. The family has four boys and and at least two girls. The photos date from 1899-1918. The boys are Harold, Raymond, Richard, and Paul. I think this is the order of their ages. The photos are dated and in some cases mis-dated. The boys were breeched at different ages. The older boys I think were breeched at about 4-5. The other two boys were older when breeched. A photo of Richard, at I would guess 6-8 years of age, shows him in a lovely white dress with his rather large girl doll. Several other images taken at 3 or 4 years show him in dresses, curls, and always with a hair bow, playing with his dolly. Judging by the number of photographs of him, I would guess he was his Mother favorite. The dresses the boys wore before being breeched were not boy dresses. They all look like little girls in frilly dresses, curled hair, and hair bows. The boys always wore hair bows in their curls until their hair was cut, which was sometime after they were breeched. Several images show Richard and Paul in tunic suit outfits with ringlet curls and hair bows.

Early-1900s: Comfortable Middle Class Family (New York)

Here we have a comfortable middle-class New York family. We know thst becuse both children have tricycles and the family has a maid. Having help in the 1900s decade was not a sign of welth, but it does indicate the family livd in comfortable circumstances. We see both children on trikes even though the girls is older than the boy. She is on what might be seen as a girl's mmodel. The portraias taken outside their New York City home with their maid Gussie whiose duties appraently included looking after the children. The potrait bis undated, but as the cabinet card mount was one of the new styles, the portait looks like it was taken in the early-1900s decade. The Cabinet card was 8.5 x 6.5 in; image size: 6.25 x 4.75 inches. Publisher’s imprint stampoed on verso, indicating "Yard of Perry St. House." We areb not sure what that meant. The boy looks to be about 5 years old and wears a Little Lord Fauntleroy outfit, with ringlet curls. The girl, proudly holds her doll. The studio was the Instantaneous Photo. View Co.

Unidentified Philidelphia Family (Pennsylvania)

Here we see a nicely posed cabinent card studio portrait with an imposing mother and her five children. three boys and two girls. Dad for what ever reason is absent. There is no information associated with the portrait, except that it was taken in Philadelphia. While the portrait is undated, we can tell by the clothing and the mount that it was taken in the 1900s decade, either the early- or mid-part of the decade. The white whicker chair also helps fate the portrait. The younger girl wear a plain white dress with verical pleating and a decortive waist belt, Her older sister wears a colored blouse and matching skirt with a huge wrap-around lace collar and a colored hair bow. The younger biy wears a Russian blouse-styled tunic suit. The older boys wear knee pants suits with black long stockings. He is holding a folded-up cap. Both look to be wearing detachable collars. The older boy has a Norfolk jacket and the middle boy has a double-breasted jacket. They look to be about 4-15 years old.

1900s: Johnson Family (Louisiana)

The photo was taken in Cravens, Vernon Parish, Louisiana, in the 1900s. What we don't know is if the family onwned the farm or were share croppers. The portrait was probably taken by an intinerate photoigrapher. The family clearly dressed up for the portrait. It shows Mitchell Johnson, his wife Elizabeth McCurley and their ten children: Odis (the baby) and (left to right) Charley, Thomas Mitchell, Willie, Crocket Lee, Elias, George Washington, Johnny, Marshall, Winfred Scott. It is difficult to tell if the younger boys are wearing blouses or shirts. We can tell that the five younger children wear knee pants and are barefoot. The kneepants suggest that the portrait was taken in the 1900s rather than ther 1910s. Going barefoot was was common in the south. What we are not entirely sure about is if the younger children here would have liked to have had shoes. The children probably had shoes for school or at least for the winter season.

1900s: Wylie Family (Unknown state)

Here we have a family snapshot done as a cabinet card portait three siblings who aappear to be on a family outing into the country, perhaps a picnic, probably captured by a new Kodak Brownie camera. Most cabinet cards are studio porttaits, but mostly after the turn-of-the century we begin to msee some family snapshots done as cabinet cards, even more were done as postcard-back prints. All of this is helpful in the dating. The children look to be about 2-7 years old. There ages are not identified, but the age range could not be significantly beyond these ages. While their ages are not indicated, the children are identified by name. They are the Wylie children--two boys and a girl (Roland, Ruth, and Robert). The writing looks more like Robut, but we assume it was meant to be Robert. There is no indication as to where they lived, but the foliage in the background looks like a northern state. The portrait is undated, but the fact that it is an outdoor snapshot and the style of the mount suggests it was taken in the 1900s decade, probably early in the decade. The older boy wears a broad-brimmed hat with a colored Fauntleroy blouse, knee pants and long stockings. His two younger siblings wear identical outfits, bonnets and dresses also with long stockings.

Early-1900s: Wiggs Family (Tennessee)

This portrait shows the Wiggs family. We know that they were from Tennessee, but we don't know just where. The portrait is undated. We would guess it was taken in the very early 20th century. We know their names: Left to Right - Standing: Norman, Zula, John Henry, Lela, Hubert, Bert. Seated: Henry Patten, Phoebe, Robert. Children in Front: Gene, Earl, Brown. Henry and Phoebe Wiggs had 10 children. They look to range from infancy to 17 or 18 years of age. The family obviously dressed up for the portrait, but the younger children are mostly barefoot. The younger boys wear ruffled vlouses and floppy bows. The older boys have suits. Even though they dressed up, they did not go to a very well established studio. At least the back drop suggests it was rather a shoe-string operation. Perhaps it was an intinerant photographer or a photographer at a county fair. Two of the older boys have rounded detachable collars.

Early-1900s: Unidentified Farm Family (Unknown state)

The farm family is unidentitified. The mount and clothing, however, suggest it was taken in the early 1900s. We do not know where it was taken. We are not sure how to interpret the background. The photographer did not put the home in the background. There were two boys, four girls and a baby. The younger boy wears a Fauntleroy blouse without a floppy bow. The older boy wears a suit jacket with a large ruffled collar abd a small bow. The girls all wear dresses.

Early-1900s: Unidentified Fashionable Family (Unknown state)

This is a fashionable family, posed in an outdoor tablaux. It looks like a family snapshot, perhaps taken by father. We see two children. The little boy wears a sailor suit and the girl has a purse hanging around her neck. Mother is seated in front of son and daughter and perhaps grandmother on the right. A great example of period clothing. The photograph is undated. It could have been taken in the late-2890s, but we tink thec early-1900s is more likely. , but we would guess it was taken about 1900-05 because it isan outdoor snapshot rather than a studio cadiet card and the boy wears white socks rather than long stockings.

1900: Upper-middle-class Pittsburgh Family (Pennsylvania)

Charles Hart Spencer and his wife Mary Acheson Spenser were a prominent upper-middle-class family of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the late 1890s and early 1900s. They had seven children--two boys (Mark and Charles) and five daughters (Adeline, Kate, Ethel, Mary and Elizabeth). They were solid Presbyterians like so many other prominent citizens of Pittsburgh at the turn of the century. They lived on Amberson Avenue, one of the finer streets in the Shadyside district of Pittsburgh near the University of Pittsburgh in the East End of the city. Shadyside is (and was) a lovely area with spacious houses and tree-lined avenues, giving little sense of the industrialism, especially the steel industry, that made the city so prosperous. The present photograph was taken in July, 1900, by Mr. Spencer, the father of the children, who in his spare time was something of an amateur photographer. The family spent vacations at another large house in Marion, Masssacusetts.

1900: Middle-class Pittsburgh Family (Pennsylvania)

Here we have another Pittsburgh family about 1900. It is unfortunately a small image, but interesting because it shows the inside of the family hime. We don't know the family's name. They seem to be a family in comfortable circumstances, but not a rich family. They are in a Victorian-style parlor of which the prominent musical instrument is an organ. Mother and father and adult relatives occupy the back row. Three children, apparently siblings, are seated in the front row. The oldest boy, about 18, sits on the organ stool propped up by what looks like a pillow or a folded blanket.

1901: Carroll Family (Texas)

This family portrait shows the Carroll family. It was taken in 1901 at Price Photo Studio, in Jacksboro, a small town west of Dallas. We know nothing about the family. They seem reasonably well off, but not well-tp-do. Jackboro was a small town serving aan agricultural and ranching area. We are unsure if the family lived in town or came into town from a farm or ranch to have their portrait taken. We suspect they came into town. Notice the father's poorly fitted collar and the ragged hem of his pants. Mother is much more careful about her appearance. Left to right we can see Merritt Douglas (born in 1898), Othello Elisha Columbus (born in 1895), the father Steven Bennett, the baby Effie Estella (born in 1900) and the mother Jane Marley. The boys are wearing checkered kilt suits with Fautleroy touches, a style beginning to go out of fashion at the time. Both boys are barefoot, this was very common even in formal portraits at the time, especilly in the South. Interestingly a portrait taken earlier would have had the boys wearing long stockings and shoes. For some reason around the turn-of-the century and throughout the 1900s we see portraits with barefoot children.

1900s-10s: Avery Family (Washington)

Frank Fuller Avery was born in Indiana during 1862. He married Anna Avery in 1892. They had two sons, Frank and Warren Avery. Their father had an interest in photography and has left us some interesting imges of the boys. The family moved to eastern Washington state in 1898, and were connected with the Colville Indian Agency at Fort Spokane, Washington. Frank Avery Sr. was first the superintendant of the Indian Boarding School at Fort Spokane and later became the inspector of Colville Agency Day Schools. Frank Sr. also took many pictures of life at Fort Spokane between 1901 and 1916 including some that include members of his family.

1904-15: Affluent New York City Family (New York)

Harold and Phyllis Fitzroy-Carrington were extensively photographed outside what is probably their home in New York in about 1904-15. A HBC contributor has a collection of nine albums of photographs that were taken by the childrens father, an enthusiastic amateur photographer. As a result, there are many charming images beside stiff, formal portraits. Their father was obviously a wealthy man. They had a New York City brick row house and they also had a country home called 'Mallowfield' at Mamaroneck. N.Y. There are approximately 100 photos in each album, many of them of Harold and his siblings playing with toys, pets, bikes etc some in swimming costumes, some playing musical instruments. The collection is a wonderful view of childhood in a wealthy NewYork family in the years before World War I. I believe that Harold was born about 1897 and Phyllis about 1900.

Mid-1900s: Affluent Urban Family (Unknown state)

Here we see four children from an affluent city family, two boys and three girls. Unfortunately the family is unidentified. We do not even know the city. We can assume that they are sanding in front of their home. The children look about 5-15 years old. The two older girls, one with riglets, are wearing matching dresses and hats. That was more common with younger children. The two younger children have props. The little girls wears a white dress avd bonnet. Her brother rides a great pedal car. The boys wear knee pants suits with small floppy bows. The boys' knee pants help us fate the photograph to the 1900s rather than the 1910s.

Mid-1900s: Blind Boy Family (Unknown state)

This cabinet card portrait has no information to help with our assessments, even studio information. All we have besides the clothing to go on is the card mount. And this suggests the 1900s. Along with the clothes we would suggest the mid-1900s, about 1905. We do not know much about women's dresses, but the two women wear dresses that do not look like the 1890s to us. And the boy's knee pants were no longer common in the the 1910s. The boy's lace-up high-top shoes also suggest the late-1900s. Button shoes were more common in the early-1900s. The portrait shows the mother and father. We think the other woman is an older daugter. The boy looks to be about 10 years old. He wears a vested suit with knee pants and long stockings. We are not sure just what he neckwear is, but it is small compared to the large floppy bows commonly worn in the 1890s. Notice the bell he is holding..

Mid-1900s: William Smith Family (Unknown state)

Here we see cabinet card of the William Smith family on a famnily bike outing. Bikes were not cheap at the time, sothe family clear was one in cimfotrable circumstances. We know the names of everyone. There is a happy group of kids, and the father standing proudly with their bicycles. The writing on the back reads, "William Smith, Rosie Smith, Fred, Charlie, Wallie". They look to be about 7-20 years of age. Everyone but Rosie gets a bike for the outing. Rosie wears a non-descript hat. The man and his four sons mostly wear flat caps. One of the boys wears a peaked cap. Flat caps becme standard in the 1910s, but there was still some diversuty in the 1900s. In Britain it would suggest a school cap, but in America they did not have a strong school association. They are all wearing suit. All the boys except one wears long pants suits. One boy has a knee pants suit. At the time it was rather unusual for a younger boy to wear long pants. That and the mount style suggests it was taken about 1905. There is no studio information on the mount.

Mid-1900s: Modest-income Family (Texas)

Here we have a cabinet-card portrait mother with her six stair-step children. They look o be about 2-13 yers of age, five boys and a girl. The cabinet card is not dates, but we can tell it was taken in the 1900s, probably about 1905. There are several clues. The portrait is on a new-style mount which became common at the turn-of the-20th century. In this case the bottom studio format is in a different style and the card is slightly larger (5 x 7 in) than was the case in the 19th century. The color of the mount was also one of the new colored moints, in this case a light browm. The clothes also help date the portrait, most notably wide-collar blouses. Also notable is that the children are barefoot. Children commonly went barefoot throughout the 19th century, but for some reason they almost always dressed up in shoes and stockings for a studio portrait. For some reson in the 1900s, we suddenly see children posing barefoot for portraits, especially un thge South. We have no explanation for this sudden and short lasting phenomenon. Also we see two younger boys wearing dresses, a long-esablished convention that was disappearing.


Figure 2.-- This is another unidentified family in reasonable circumstances. We see them on the porch of their rural home (figure 1). There is no information associated with the cabinet card portrait. We suspect that it may be somewhere in the South. After the turn-of-the 20th century we see more images like this taken outside studios. So we not only have fashion information, but get to see views at home which tells us about their circumstances. Here we see grand parents, adult childre, and the grand kids, The girls wear dresses. The boy with his pooch wears a Fauntleroy blouse and is barefoot.

Mid-1900s: Rural Family (Unknown state)

This is another unidentified family in reasonable circumstances. We see them on the porch of their rural home (figure 2). There is no information associated with the cabinet card portrait. We suspect that it may be somewhere in the South. After the turn-of-the 20th century we see more images like this taken outside studios. So we not only have fashion information, but get to see views at home which tells us about their circumstances. Here we see grand parents, adult childre, and the grand kids, The girls wear dresses. The boy with his pooch wears a Fauntleroy blouse and is barefoot.

Mid-1900s: Unknown Family (Pennsylvania)

This cabinet card portrait dates from the mid-1900s decade, probably abou 1905. It is not dated, but is clear from both the cabinet card mount and the clothes the children are wearing. Dark, olive green mounts are one of thr charactetistic new cabinet card mounts ghat apperared at the turn-of-the 20th century. Three children are posed with the large family pooch. We are not sure about the breed. They look to be about 3-12 years old. The girls wear dresses and have ringlet curls. The yongest girl wears a white dress and holds a lovely porcelin doll. She poses on rattan chair painted white--also characteistic of the 1900s decade. The boy wears a double-breasted knee pants suit. Notice the watch fob and flap pocket. Wrist watches did not become popular, in part because of World War I. Knee pants had been worn since the mod-19th century, but only a few years after this portraiy was taken theu would be replaced ny knickers for American boys. All the children wear black lonmg stockings. The photographer was Rishel in Bowmanstown, Pennsylvania.

Mid-1900s: Middle-class Family (Unknown state)

Here we have a snapshot of an unidentified family on what looks like a pleasant family outing for which the chilren were dressedup. There are five children. The children look to be about 1-11 years old. It is likely that there were more children to come. Presumably the cheery lady is the mother and father took the photograph. The younger children wear white dresses, we think a girl and a boy. The middle boy would have been about 5-years old and wears a fashionable tunic suit with an Eton collar and small floppy bow. We are not sure about the color. The older boys wear knee pants. One with suspenders and what looks like a self-belt with a shirt or blouse. The other as part of a double-breasted suit and what looks like a shirt waist. The children wear black long stockings. The snapshot is undated, but because the boys are wearing knee pants, it is almost certainly the 1900s.

1905: Prarie Family (North Dakota)

At the turn of the 20th century many Americans still lived on the farm. This family in 1905 lived in a sod house (figure 1). The family portrait is especially interesting as it shows the house that the family lived in rather than just the family in a photographic studio. Lumber was not available on the prarie and beyond the price that many homesteaders could aggord. This family lived in North Dakota near the Canadian border. This family has six young children, all are barefoot. The boys wear kneepants. Notice the one boy with the family Bible. Also note the important place for the family dog. Farm families tended to be large. There was a lot of work to be done on the family farm. Note how tightly spaced the children are. There are already six children and it is likely that there was eventually several more children. Insights on homesteading can be gained from the 2002 PBS program Frontier Home, although it is set in the 1880s and well to the west where lumber was plentiful.

About 1905-10: Brother and Sisters (unknown state)

Unfortunately this snapshot is unidentified. The fact that it is a snapshot and the style of the clothes suggest to us that it was probably taken about 1905-10. This is just a guess. We would be interested in any assessments readers may have. The boy wears a ehite middy blouse with a colored trim and a colored patch pocket. He also wears kneepants and long stockings. He looks to be about 8-9 years old. His sisters look a little older and wear matching dresses.

About 1905: Affluent New York City Family (New York)

Here a wondeful scene fron turn-of-the-20th century New York. They look to be a well established family. We see the father, the mother and their two two. The boys are Harold and Alfred Wallgren. The older boy looks to be around 5 years old. He wears a sailor tunic with white long stockings and button shoes. Both boys have lonish hair. One done in bangs the other in curls. The younger boy is about 3 years old. It is less clear what the younger boy wears. It could be a dress, bit looks to me like a differently styled tunic suit. The portrait was taken in a famous New York studio--the Scherer Studio. They had three studios including one in Brooklyn. We have two shots taken at the same time. The body language suggests the boys were very close. In fact the body language of the whole family shows a wonderfully close family. The father looks serious and successful. The mother looks tender, but not fawning,

About 1905: Black American Family (Unknown state)

Here we have five children from a Black American family about 1905. We do not know where the photograph was taken, but at the time most Blacks still lived in the South. The children except the baby all wear shirt sleeves. Race has been a major factor in American history. The importance an ramificaions of race are factors still not fully appreciated by many Americans. The overiding issue has been slavery. Slavery in America was limited to blacks, in part because theIndians proved impossible to enslave. There were Whites subjected to indentured servitude. It took the Civil War to end slavery, but the impact of slavery continue to affect America. America is a multi-ethnic society. A series of immigrant waves from Europe have left their imprint on the United States. The prominence of the Civil Rights Movement in America gave many the impression that racism was an American phenomenon. The Movement suceeded in ending state-sponsored rascism, but thelingering impact of racism continues. Blacks have been the largest ethnic minority in america. Blacks have now been replaced by Hispanics as the largest minority. The immigration in the 19th and early-20th century was largely from Europe. This changes with new immigration laws in the 1960s. Immigration now occurs from all over the world and this is changing the racial makep of the United States.

1905-06: Martha's Vinyard Family (Massahusettes)

The precise identity of this family is unknown. We do know that the photograph was taken on Martha's Vinyars, a island south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The family looks prosperous. Martha's Vinyasrd is today a very prosperous community. We believe the same was true at the turn of the century, but probably not nearly as true as today. The photograph wasc taken about 1905-06. The squinting boy in the front row (about 10 or 11 probably) wears above-the-knee knickers with longs tockings and a shirt with a fancy bow tie. Notice also his little low-crowned brimless black hat. It looks as though he is a bit unhappy at having his picture taken with the rest of his clan. Perhaps he doesn't like having to be so dressed up for the occasion, or maybe the sun is in his eyes.

1906: Middle-class Family (Texas)

Here we see a portrait from Texas (perhaps Williamson Co.) about 1906. We see Maggie Fisher Casey with her four children. The children (counter-clockwise from the top left) are Overton Harris Casey, Evalee Casey, Harold Casey (the baby), and Wayne Casey. The portrait illustrates many popular fashion trends at the time. We have no information about the family's social status, but we would say iy was a family of modest means. Notice the the two boy's clothing. First they are basically dressed alike, weating shirts or blouses without jackets. This was quite cimmon in the early 19th century for Summer dress. Notice the boys different coolars and neckwear. I'm not yet sure what the older boy's collar was called, but it was commonly worn by both youths and men at the time. The younger boy wears wha looks like an Eton collar, although we can not see the tip because of his bow tie. Note the older boy's suspenders. The younger boy, however does not have either suspenders or a belt. We assume that their are buttond on the inside of his waistband that buttoned on to his blouse. Note that unlike his sister, he is barefoot.

1906: Ford Family (Texas)

This family portrait shows Esquire Thomas Ford and Mary Jane Smart with their seven children who look to be about 1-20 years of age. In the back row we can see Verna, Stella and Henry. At the side of Esquire Thomas there is Walter and in front row the twins Earl and Ervin. Bessie is sitting on the knees of Mary Janes. The photo was taken in Tennessee in 1906. Another child, Bertha, will be born in 1907. The younger twin boys wear Fauntleroy blouses with knee pants and curiously flat cap. Walter wears suit with what looks like a large white square collar. Henry wears a suit with high-set lapels. The older girls wear blouses and skirts, on with a floppu bow. This is a good example of family portraits with barefoot children in the 1900s. We are not sure why this suddenly became so common. It is not as if going barefoot suddenly became common. Boys commonly went brefoot throughout the 19th century, but mostly put on shoes abd sicks for a portrait. and then in the 1900s, especilly the late 10s we suddenly see the children pitting on their shoes and socks for portraits again. We have no idea why so many barefoot children uddenly apprared in the 1900s. We would understand it if we were talking about family snapshots, but we are talking bout sudio portraits. And notice that everyone dressed up for the portrait. Many of these images come from southern states and they are often tin-types and taken in low budget, perhaps carnival studios. But why they are suddenly o common we do not know. A readr points out, "This is really something calling attention in formal portrait, when people clearly dressed up for the occasion."

1907: Extended Family (Missouri)

Many of our family images are portraits of a nuclear family, meaning the parents and children. There are also images of extended families, some of which can be quite large. This portrait shows the large Lowry family in Missouri during 1907 showing the various styles being worn by all the family members. The boys all wear kneepants suits, except for one little boy wearing a white tunic. The women wear long dresses. The girls wears dresses cut at various lengths below their knees. Here we wonder. We know the boys wanted long pants like their fathers. Did the girls want long dresses like their mothers?

1907: Unidentified Georgia Afro-American Family (Georgia)

At the turn iof the 20th century, the great bulk of the Afro-American population in the rural South. The Great Migration was just beginning and would not reach really large numbers until the WorlD waR I era. The photograph here was taken in Savannah, Georgia, probably in 1907. It shows an African American family. As was common in rural area, many familes like this one were quite large. We can see the parents and 10 children. Presumably, looking at the age of the children, some more children will be born later. Notice the small size of the brick buildings in the back. These may have been former slave quarters. Most of the rural homes I remember seeing in the 1950s were larger and made in crude wooden planks. I am not sure how common brick slave quarters were. There is a signover the dioirwau, but we can not read it. The family wear standard 1900s styles. ll the youngr children are barefoot which was very common in the South at the time.

1908: Rann Family (Unknown state)

This is an oval format cabinet card photo of a mother posing with her daughter and two boys. There is writing on the back, identifying the subjects. Unfortunately the writing is difficult to read. We believe that it may read Mrs H.L. Rann, unfortunately the writing is not clear. We can make out her maiden name--Gertrude Arnold. The children are Amy (12), Lucien (age 10), and Herbert (4). Amy seems to have two dark colored hair bows. She has a high neck dress and locket. Lucien seems to have a detachable collar and short tie, a tunic suit, and long white stockings. The portrait was taken in 1908. The cabinet card photo measures about 6 inches wide, and approximately 9 inches tall. Actual photo measures about 3.5 inches wide by approx 5.5 inches tall.

About 1908: Prarie Farm Family (Unknown state)

This looks to be a succesful farm family with a nice little pooch who fits right in the middle. If you look at the back ground to the left, we think it is safe to say that this was a farm family. We do not know where, but given what we can see, the Midwest seems likely. As was commonly the case with farm families, it was a large family. There are eight children, although it is possible that the baby is a grandchild. There are three boys who look to be about 6-12 years old, all of whom are wearing knee pants. Knickers began replacing knee pants about 1908, but farm families would not have been at gthe cutting edge of fashion. The portrait is undated, but we thuink was taken about 1908. We say that because it was a postcard back photograph, meaning it could have not been taken earlier than about 1903. And the fact that there is no stamp box suggests to us that it was a fairly early card, confirmed by the fact that the boys are not wearing knickers. Another fact is that itv was a divided-back post card which in America began about 1907. So we date the card to about 1907-08. The two older boys are wearing double-breasted suit jackets. The younger boy is just wearing a blouse.

Late 1900s: Visiting Grandkids (Unknown state)

Unfortunately we have no provinance associate with this family snapshot. It surely must be a grandfather with his two grandchildrem. On the early 20th century before Social Security, it was common for families to include the grandparents. Yhe gentleman hear could have served in the Civil War. His two grandchildren--a girl about 7 and a boy about 8--is American or European. I tend to think it is American because of the rocking chair and the look of the house. We might guess it was located in the South, in part because of grandfather's hat. The view of the house is another interesting aspect of this photograph. This could be a farm house, but I think more likely is a home in a small town or suburban community. The family seems to be living in comfortable circumstances, judging from the grounds and the large house in the background. The angle of the sun somewhat spoils the portrait of the little girl in a white dress with black stockings. The boy, accordingly, is squinting with the sun in his eyes. He wears a white blouse, grey knee pants, black long stockings, and hightop shoes. I think the photo dates from the later 1900s.

Late 1900s: Norwegian Immigrant Family (South Dakota)

Here we have the Andrew Rongley family. A reader tells us that Andrew Rongley was his great-uncle. Rongley immigrated from Norway in the late 19th-century. Here we see his wife and children. The three boys wear identical white blouses, floppy bows, and knickers. Their younger sister wears her hair done in braids with hairbows and has a white dress.

Late 1900s: Unidentified Family (Unknown state)

This cabinet card portrait shows an unidentified American family, we think in the late-1900s, but the early-1910s is possible. The portrait is undated, but the mount suggests the 1900s, perhaps late in the decade. The mount is one of the new styles which often did not identify the studio and location. We believe the portrair shows grandfather surrounded by his nine grandchildren. They look to be about 1015 years of age. They are all emaculately dressed. The youngest boy (exempting the babies) wears a velvet suit and ringlet curls. His slightly older brother wears a sailor suit. The next bouy wears a standard sack lapel suit. He may be about 6-years old. The girls all wear dresses, the younger ones white dresses. The girls also have hair bows. All the children wear dark long stokings, even tbhe girls in white dresses.







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Created: 3:15 AM 2/16/2005
Last edited: 6:53 PM 12/6/2023