Figure 1.--This 1860s tintype shows a boy about 5-years old wearing a button-on suit. He is holding a rounded-crown hat. It looks to be a straw hat. Notice the white stockings which we also see commonly in the 60s.

These hats were popular in the mid- and late-19th century. We have not found much written about these hats, but we can construct a basic chronology through the photographic record. We do not yet know the precise chronology. We are not sure just when they first appeared, in part because of the lack of photography in the early 19th century. We are not sure about the 1830s. We believe that they probably appeared in the 1840s, but can not yet conform this. Nor are we sure who first introduced this style. We certainly see the hard type of these caps being worn by the 1850s. This was one of the most common type of headwear for boys. I'm not sure just when the straw version first appeared, but the image here suggests that they were being worn in the 1860s (figure 1). We note the soft type by the 1880, but am unsure just when they first appeared. We still these these hats being worn in the 1890s, but they become much less common after the turn-of-the 20th century, in part because boys began wearing caps more commonly. While they were still occassionally seen in rural areas they rapidly disappeared.

The 1830s

These hats were popular in the mid- and late-19th century. We have not found much written about these hats, but we can construct a basic chronology through the photographic record. We do not yet know the precise chronology. We are not sure just when they first appeared, in part because of the lack of photography in the early 19th century.

The 1840s

We are not sure about the 1830s, but we do have information on the 40s thanks to Daguerreotype photgraphy. We believe that they probably appeared in the 1840s, but can not yet confirm this. Nor are we sure who first introduced this style. Most Daguerrotypes taken in the 1840s do not show the subjects wearung headwear. Some times the headwear is placed on the drapery covered tables commonly used by the studios in early portraits.

The 1850s

We certainly see the hard type of these caps being worn by the 1850s. This was one of the most common type of headwear for boys. Unfortunately, headwear is not commonly depicted in Daguerreotypes and Ambrotypes, the major portrait types in the 1850s. A good example of a rounded crown hat is this unidentified American boy.

The 1860s

The appearance of the CDV in the 1860s allows us to cover fashion like never before. And we see rounded-crown hats as a major boys' style of headwear from the beginning of the decade. We note boy of all ages wearing rounded-crown hats during the 1860s. It was clearly a major boys' style in the 1860s. Numerous examples are archived on HBC. We note an unidentified Connecticut boy wearing a dark rounded-crown hat about 1865. We are not sure just when the straw version of the rounded crown hat first appeared, but the image here suggests that they were being commonly worn in the 1860s (figure 1). Another good example is Tom. K. Christie in 1867. His hat is depicted with a bright blue hat band. Another good example is John Schwensusen in the late-1860s. Another good example is two unidentified brothers in the late-1860s.

The 1870s

We continue to see contless boys wearing rounded crown hats in the 1870s. We notice American boys continuing to wear rounded crown hats after the Civil War. It was the single most common style of boys' headwear throughout the decade. We see many examples in the photographic record and boys of all ages. We see a tin-type of two school-age brothers wearing rounded-crown hats abd identical suits, we think in the 1870s. They look to be about 7-10 years of age. Another example is unidentified boys in a rural scene. The tin-type is undated, but we believe was taken in either the 1870s or 80s. The boys look to be teenagers.

The 1880s

We note many boys continuing to wear rounded-crown hats in the 1880s. As far as we can tell, it was the most popular headwear styles for boys in the 1880s. Young boys wore a variety of hats, including these rounded-crown hats. A good example of a straw rounded crown hat is the dark hat worn by Iowa boy Carl Shrader in 1885. Here we have a good look, often the hat is only shown periferally. Another example is William Chaeles in 1889. These rounded-crown hats were very commonly worn by school-age boys. We also see younger teenagers wearing them.

The 1890s

We still still these these rounded-crown hats being worn in the 1890s. The 1890s is, however, the first decade in which we see relly large numbers of caps being worn. We see caps throughout the 19th century. Without photography we can not assess relative popularity of caps and hats. Hats were definited more common in the 18th century, but we are not sure about the early-19th century. The photographic record for the rest of the century clearly shows that hats were the dominnt headwear for boys, at least intil the 1890s. Suddenlywe see more caps, especially in the second half of the decade. There wa no one single cap style. We see quite a few different styles. The fominant hat style, however, continued to be the rounded crown hat. And the differences between rural and urban areas which were observable earlier seem particularly pronounced by the 1890s. We see these hats much less commonly in urban areas, but they are still commonly worn in rural areas. Here studio photography is less helpful than desirable. tudio photographers generally indicate the location that they were taken, bit not where the subjects lived. Farmers and other rural residents might occassionally come into town and have portraits taken there. Here school photography is particularly useful in assessing democraphic trends like riral and urban fashion trends. For whatever reasons, we see fewer caps in rural areas. Cold weather caps may be an exception. Unfortunately most shool photography was taken during the warm weather months in rural areas.

The 1900s

The rounded-crown hats become much less common after the turn-of-the 20th century, in part because boys began wearing caps more commonly. While they were still occassionally seen in rural areas they rapidly disappeared. A good example is an unidentified boy at a rural school about 1900-05.

Created: 8:46 PM 1/25/2008
Last updated: 8:56 AM 10/12/2017