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These brothers probably had their portrait at a fairly modest studio. We are not sure how to date this image. Perhaps HBC readers will have some idea. Note they are wearing shirtwaists without collars. The younger boy has a shirtr thst buttons up the front like a standard shirt. With the older boy, we can't see where the buttons are. Rathers have offered
We can usually date old images at least to the decade. This one we are not sure about it. We do not have the complete image showung the mount which is useful in dating images. It may even be a tin-type. We would guess it is the 1890s, but children at the time usually dressed up for portraits ratherthan showing up barefoot. The suspenders are interesting, but we can not yet date them.
The hair cuts are intersting. They look rather modern, Both boys would fit right into modern schools. At the time I think they would have been thought rather unkempt, although the older boy doe seem to have carefully combed his hair. It is not, however,a style we commonly see at the time.
The unidentified boys look to us to be about 10-16 years old. There is no information associated with the portrait, but we would guess they are farm boys who came into town and had their portrait taken. We are not sure mother planned a portrait or perhaps they were not a very prosperouds family, but while the boy has parched clothing, notice how neatly done the pstches are. The boy are not raggedly dressed. The way they are dressed is probably how boys commonly dressed at the time in rural areas.
Notice how the older boy's pants are patched. The boys' hair seemed nicely combed for the picture. My guess is that the children are from families of very modest means. The younger boy is bare foot and his trousers have hems to be let down. On the younger boy you can see the top of his undershirt and one button. The older boy appears to be wearing a placket on his shirt
which is covering the buttons.
I have blown up a detail of the older boy's shirt. I think this enlargement gives a hint of the buttons on this shirt.
There may be only three or four, so the shirt is put on over the head like a pullover, rather than like a jacket.
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