Figure 1.-- This portrait shows three smartly dressed, but stern-looking siblings about 2-8 years of age. They are clearly dubious with the photographer. I would guess the boys are somewhere between 5 - 8 years of age. We at first thought that they were a boy, girl, and baby. On closer examination we think the two older chuldren are both boys. The oldest boy holds a baseball bat and wears a knee pants Norfolk suit with a small Eton collar and bow. His younger brother has ringlet curls and wears what might be called a Norfolk- or suit-styled dress similar to a kilt suit. Mpther has added a scalloped collar and small floppy bow. The reason we think both children are boys is that both had brimless round caps. We don't believe this was a style commonly worn by girls. If you look, the boy in the dress, he is holding the ball in his left hand which would also point to him being a boy who had yet to be breached. The portrait is undated, but was probably taken about 1880. (Based on the mount style, small beckwearm and black long stockings.) It was an oversized (5.25 x 8.5 inche) cabinet card. The studio name is hard to read, perhaps F.D. Lewism located in Kingeton, New York.

We are not sure what to call these brimless round caps. We see them in period catalogs, but they are only referred to as caps. The sides are perpendicular like a stovepipe hat, but not nearly as high and not as stiff. They were made in soft mterials, probably wool. They are also similar to pill-box caps, but again not as stiff. We notice them being widely worn in the late-19th century, especially the 1880s-90s. We do not have a detailed chronology, but rarely see these caps after the turn-of-the-20th century. This was a fairly common style. While we commonly see them in the photographic record, we have not yet found any written information about them and thus do not know any more about them than can be observed in the photographic portraits. We note them being worn with fancy outfits. They seem similar to smoking caps, but I believe they were constructed somewhat differently. We think they may have been primarily a cold-weather cap. I think the sides may have neen two layers, but cannot yet confirm this. Other than this possibility they seem to have no practical purpose other than provide headwear which was considered an essential part of dressing up in the 19th century. This seems to have been a cap style worn mostly by pre-teens or very young teens. SWe have just begun to work on the age conventions. We mostly see them being worn with knee pants suits suggesting that they were a boys' fashion. Knee pants at the time these caps were popular had become standard for American boys. The smoking cap of course is an exception. Men may have worn these caps as a kind iof sporting fashion. Hopefully a HBC reader will know more about these styles.

Terminology

We are not sure what to call these brimless round caps. We see them in period catalogs, but they are only referred to as caps.

Construction

The sides of these brimless caps are perpendicular like a stovepipe hat, but not nearly as high and not as stiff. They seem similar to smoking caps, but I believe they were constructed somewhat differently. We think they may have been primarily a cold-weather cap. I think the sides may have neen two layers, but cannot yet confirm this.

Material

They were made in soft mterials, probably wool. They are also similar to pill-box caps, but again not as stiff.

Chronology

We notice them being widely worn in the late-19th century. We furst notice them in the 1870s. We are not sure if they occurred earlier. They seem most common in the 1880s-90s. The portrait here looks to have been taken about 1880, perhaps the early-80s. We note a 1890 mail order catalog which features these caps prominentky for younger boys. We do not have a detailed chronology, but have begun to build one. We rarely see these caps after the turn-of-the-20th century.

Popularity

This was a fairly common style. While we commonly see them in the photographic record, we have not yet found any written information about them and thus do not know any more about them than can be observed in the photographic portraits. Rounded crown hats had been very common in the mid-19th century. These caps are an example of the different styles of caps hat were becoming increasingly popular.

Conventions

We note them being worn with fancy outfits. The boys here have these caps for their dress-up outfirs (figure 1). Other than the possibility of cold weather wear, they seem to have no practical purpose other than provide headwear which was considered an essential part of dressing up in the 19th century.

Age Trends

These brimless caps seem to have been a cap style worn mostly by pre-teens or very young teens. The caps were very popular, thus we have a detailed photographic record of the age trends. The boys here with these caps look to be about 4-8 years of age (figure 1). One of the two older boys is not yet breeched. More commonly we see them being worn by school-age boys. We have just begun to work on the age conventions. We have archived many examples of these caps on HBC and as we cross reference them we should be able to develop a much better idea of the age cinventions. The smoking cap worn by mn of course is an exception. Men may have worn these caps as a kind of sporting fashion.

Accompanying Clothes

We mostly see them being worn with knee pants suits suggesting that they were a boys' fashion. Knee pants at the time these caps were popular had become standard for American boys. We see the caps with different styles of suits, including Fauntleroy suits.

Created: 3:21 AM 4/29/2013
Last updated: 1:58 PM 4/29/2013