Figure 1.--This unidentified American boy wears a heavy winter coat and soft rounded-crown hat. The studio was Taylor & Preston, Salem, Massachusettes. This was one of the rare cabinet cards with a printed date--1887.

Capes were commonly worn in the 19th century, at least by the well-to-do. We do not have much information on the early-19th century, but we see capes in both the mid-and late-19th century. Our chronology of capes is incomplete. We note examples in the 1880s and 90s, but believe they were worn throughout the 19th century. We do not see many examples in the mid-19th century. But photograpoht was still exoensive (1840s and 50s). This mean that the number of images were stilllimited. And mothers were less likely to experiment with various outfits such as bundling the kids up in cold wear gear. Just how common they were for boys in the early-19th century, we are not entirely sure. We have not yet found examples in the Daguerreotyoes and Ambrotypes taken during that period. That does not mean that none exist. Our schive is substabtial enough, however, to mean that they were not very common. America at mid-century was still a rural country and modt Americans had modest incomes. This meant that most people had modest incomes and limited wardrobes. We suspect tht most children did not havre expensive overcots with capes. This changed with the introduction of the CDV annd the fallof prices (1860s). They may have been most common in the 1880s-90s, but a factor here is the vast body of the photographic record in the late-19th century. Many more images were taken than dat mid-century or even the 1860s. Another factor is the rising income levels as a result of the industrial revolution. More children were better dressedthn at mid-century. This pribavly meant that more children had heavy winter costs, including the overcoats made with capes. These were relatively expensive items. America in the late-19th century went through one of the most remarkable economic expansions in history. Thus it is not surprising thst by the end of the century we see quite a number of very well dressed children. The photographic record by this time is probably a reasonable refldction of actualprevaslence. Capes seem to largely disappeared after the turn-of-the-20th century. We see a few children wearing them in the 1900s, but not after that in the 1910s.

The 1800s

Our chronology of capes is incomplete. Capes were commonly worn in the 19th century, at least by the well-to-do. We do not have much information on the early-19th century, but we believe that capes were worn throughout the century. How common gthey were for children we do not know. Just how common they were for boys in the early-19th century, we are not entirely sure. Without photography it is much more difficult to assess clothing trends.

The 1840s

We do not see many examples in the mid-19th century. We have not yet found examples in the Daguerreotpes taken in the 1840s and 50s. But photograpoht was still exoensive (1840s and 50s). This mean that the number of images were stilllimited. And mothers were less likely to experiment with various outfits such as bundling the kids up in cold wear gear. That does not mean thst none exist. Our schive is substabtial enough, however, to mean gthat they were not very common. America at mid-century was still a rural country and most Americans had modest incomes. This meant that most people had modest incomes and limited wardrobes. We suspect tht most children ddid not have expensive overcots with capes.

The 1850s

Many Dags were also taken in the 1850s, but we can not yet destinguish them from those taken in the 40s. We also see Ambrotype taken in the 1850s. Thesewe know were not takem in thev 1840s, butbsome were takedn in the rarly-60s. We see a few tin-types in the 50s. Tin-types are very difficult to date. We have found very fewv examples of capes from the 50s. We are not sure how to interoret this. It may be that capes were not very common. But it may also be that while the early photographic types (Dags and Ambros) give us many more images than ever before, especially in America. But they pale in comparison to what was go come in the 1869s with the albumen process (CDVs and cabinet cards). Whike we do not havevanybDags showing boys wearing capes, we have found one anbro. The boys is wearing the OlivervTwust-type peaked military cap. The dark colors involved, however, make it difficult to make out much detail.

The 1860s

This changed with the introduction of the CDV annd the fall of prices for studio portraits (1860s). We do begin to see capes in the new CDVs.

The 1870s

The 1880s

We begin to see more American children wearing capes in the 1880s. We think a factor here was growing prosperity in America. The capes we see were mostly part of overcoats. This was an expensive garnment and we do not see many boys wearing them earlier in the century. There are not large numbers, but this is in part children generally took their heavy winter coats off to have their portraits taken. But some mothers had portraits taken with the coats on. The boy here is a good example in 1887 (figure 1). The examples we see are all very formallooking heavy long-length overcoats. These were not specifically children's garments. Both men and women also had very similar overcoats with capes. hey were very common for well dressed men and women at the time. We notice both single- and double-breasted examples. The single-breasted coats may have been more common for children.

The 1890s

We note quite a number of examples of children wearing capes during the 1890s. Capes may have been most common in the 1880s-90s, but a factor that has to be considered is the vast body of the photigraphic record in the late-19th century. Many more images were taken than at mid-century or even the 1860s. Another factor is the rising income levels as a result of the industrial revolution. More children were better dressed than at mid-century. This probably meant that more children had heavy winter coats,including the overcoats made with capes. These were relatively expensive items. America in the late-19th century went through one of the most remarkable economic expansions in history. Thus it is not surpriing that by the end of the 19th century we see quite a number of very well dressed children. The photographic record by this time is probably a reasonable if not perfect reflection of actual prevalence.

The 1900s

Capes seem to largely disappeared after the turn-of-the-20th century. We see a few children wearing them in the 1900s, but not after that in the 1910s. A factor herevis that we see fewer children wearing overcoats in general. Children increasingly wore jackets.

Created: 2:04 AM 5/21/2010
Last updated: 11:09 AM 6/22/2012