American Families: Unidentified American Family (1912-15)


Figure 1.--Here we see the unidentified family in 1912 with the four younger children. The two older girls were not included for some reason. The children look to be about 2-9 years old. The younger two boys are dressed alike which mother contuinued as they got older. They wear white sailor tunics. There older brither wears a blouse,detachable collar and large tie, and knickers. Their sister wears a dress with a kind of knitted or crocheted top, almost like a pinafore. Note the huge white hairbow. All the children wear long stockings. The younger boy and girl wear white long stockings. Big brother wears black long stockings.

Here we see an unidentified American family family. The images do not give many clues as to wear the children lived. We might guess the Midwest. The clothing anbd background we think suggests that they came from a middle-class family in comfortable circumstances. There are three boys and three girls spaced fairly evenly from about 3-13 years of age when we first see them in 1912 and 3 years older when we last see them about 1915. The youngest children are are two boys )about 2-3 years old), the older boy is about 9 years old and the oldest children are the girls (about 8-13 years). We see some formal portraits of the children. And we see the older boy teaching the two younger boys how to box. He might get into trouble for that today, but was probably viewed differently at the time. And in the days before air conditioning the children are cooling off in a stream by taking off their shoes and stockings. The younger boys wear a variety of clothes including tunic suits and matching cut-away jacket suits. They also wear H-bar shorts/knee pants which were not all that common in America. Their older brother wears knickers with a detacable collar when dressing up. Their sisterts wear dresses. Some seem to be wearing pinafores over dresses.

Family Portrait (1912)

Here we see the unidentified family in 1912 with the four younger children (figure 1). The two older girls were not included for some reason. We do not know the famiky;'s name, but the younger boys were Roger and Chester. The children look to be about 2-9 years old. The younger two boys are dressed alike which mother contuinued as they got older. They wear white sailor tunics. There older brither wears a blouse,detachable collar and large tie, and knickers. Their sister wears a dress with a kind of knitted or crocheted top, almost like a pinafore. Note the huge white hairbow. All the children wear long stockings. The younger boy and girl wear white long stockings. Big brother wears black long stockings. The youngwer boys have their hair done in page boy bangs, The girl has ringlet curls. The older boy has naturally curly hair.

Boxing Lessons (1914)

Here we see the boys together on a warm summer day. The boys look to be about 4-5 years old. There older brother looks to be about 11 years old. The portrait is undated, but was probably taken in 1914. Big brother was teaching his little brothers how to box and without boxing gloves. We do not know if they are just posing. Presumably dad is supervising the operation as he probably took the snapshot. Big brother might get into trouble for that today, but was probably viewed differently at the time, especially by dad. We do not know if the boys actually had at each other. If so, we are guessing it ended in some tears. The boys wear H-bar short/knee pants. They were not verty common in America, but a major style in Germany at the time. You can tell it was a warm day because they are not wearing shirts. Curiously they are wearing long stockings despite the heat. Clearly mother dressed them. They also wear sandals which were fairly common with well-to-do families at the time. Their older brother who has more to say with how he dressed wears knickers without shoes and stockings.

Cut-away Jacket Suits (1915)

We notice the two younger boys photographed in brand new matching cut-away jacket suits. he boys were close in age and often dressed alike. They look to be about 5-6 years old hetre. The boys have caps that look like turned down swabbie caps. We are not what the caps were called at the time. The caps matched the suit. We can not tell, however just what color the suits were other than it was a light color. The suits had cut away jackets and matching knee pants aswell as contrasting white vests. This was not a very common style by the 1910s. A much more popular style for younger boys were Oliver Twist suits. The boys also wear small floppy bows. They look to have Peter Pan collars which might have been part of a blouse. They were worn with white long stockings and "T' strap sandals. We are not sure what color the sandals were, probably tan. They were photographed in their back yard by a white picket fence.

Cooling Off (1915)

Here we have a photograph of all the children, three boys and three gurls. The two oldes girls could be relatives or family friends, but they are probablyt all one family. The age progressuin looks about right. The snapshot looks to gave been taken on the same day as the photograph of the boys in their cut-away jacket suits. The younger boys despite the temperature are still wearing their suits. Their brother wears a blouse or shirt and has his collar buttoned. The girls wear a variety of dresses and pinafores. To cool off, they have taken off their shoes and stockings and are wadeing in a stream.







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Created: 8:22 PM 6/1/2011
Last edited: 8:23 PM 6/1/2011