United States Boys' Floppy Bows: Colors


Figure 1.--This hand-tinted photographic portrait is of a woman in black dress with high neck collar (possibly grandmother) and a little boy wearing a uit, fancy ruffled collar and green floppy bow. The portrait is in an old decorative frame and the outside edges of glass have been tinted brown. Green was not one of the more common colors, but the portrait here suggests it was one of the colors used.

Color is a very difficult topic with the floppy bows worn in the late-19th century and to a lesser extent the early-20th century. Photography was black and white, thus providing very few color clues. Another problem is that catalohs were also almost entirely in black and white. We have found only a few painted portraits. What is availavle or colorized photographic portraits. These of course are less valid than actual color photographs, but we believe that colorizers did try to get the color right if specified. The specific shade, of course, is less likely to be accurately depicted in these colorized images. Photographers varied on the details specified to to colorizers. But even if the details were not specified, the colorizers were likely to chose colors that were commonly worn. We have noted a range of colors, incliding black, blue, brown, green, pink, red, and white. We have not yet found yellow and orange. There were also multi-color bows done un patterns like plaid, pokadots, and stripes. We are not sure about these multiple-color bows. Our color information, however, is still relatively limited. One topic we are not yet sure about is color conventions associated with the colors of floppy bows. The bows were much more common for boys, but some firls did wear them.

Color Problem

Color is a very difficult topic with the floppy bows worn in the late-19th century and to a lesser extent the early-20th century. Photography was black and white, thus providing very few color clues. Another problem is that catalohs were also almost entirely in black and white. We have found only a few painted portraits. What is available or colorized photographic portraits. These of course are less valid than actual color photographs, but we believe that colorizers did try to get the color right if specified. The specific shade, of course, is less likely to be accurately depicted in these colorized images. Photographers varied on the details specified to to colorizers. But even if the details were not specified, the colorizers were likely to chose colors that were commonly worn. We note that most of ther colorized images are plain-colored bows, presumably because thedy wsere easiest to tint.

Specific Colors

We have noted a range of colors in the various available images. The colors included black, blue, brown, green, pink, red, and white. We have not yet found yellow and orange. There were also multi-color bows done un patterns like plaid, pokadots, and stripes. We are not sure about these multiple-color bows. Our color information, however, is still relatively limited. While as we have discussed, these are not color photographs and thus the accuracy of the depictions has to be considered. Even so, the fact that these colors appears in the tinted images has to be considered.

Gender

One topic we are not yet sure about is gender conventions associated with the colors of floppy bows. The bows were much more common for boys, but some girls did wear them. We do not know if girls wore sny differently colored bows.








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Created: 4:38 PM 8/31/2008
Last updated: 4:17 AM 4/26/2010