Figure 1.--These unidentified American children were from Westerly, Rhode Island. The portrait is undated and we are not quite sure how to date it. Two of the children wear dresses. The older child is obviously a girl. The younger child sitting down looks to us more like a boy, although there is no sure way of knowing.

While two of the children wear dresses, each of them wear outfits with destinctive features. The boy to the right wears a standard kneepants suit with a collar rather than lapels. Not the watch fob. The kneepants fall somewhat below the knees. He wears long stockings. Were unsure about the color of the suit or stockings. The other two children wear dresses with large white scalloped collars. The collars appear to be tied on and not part of the dress. The dresses are both plain. One is a solid color and the other plaid. They both wear long stockings. The older one wears black long stockings and the other wears what look to be dark colored long stockings.

Suit

While two of the children wear dresses, each of them wear outfits with destinctive features. The boy to the right wears a standard kneepants suit with a collar rather than lapels. Not the watch fob. The kneepants fall somewhat below the knees. He wears long stockings. Were unsure about the color of the suit or stockings. There was verticaldetailing.

Dresses

The other two children wear dresses with large white scalloped collars. The collars appear to be tied on and not part of the dress. The younger child has a much larger collar. Also note the neclasses. One ids a cross. The other seems to be a locket. The dresses are both relatively plain with front lacing. One is a solid color and the other plaid, presumably red. The plaid dress had black velvet work at the cuffs and the front. I'm not sure what the color of the other dress may have been. Note that the younger child does not wear a boy dress, a dress with boyish styling. Other than the plaid it eems a rather standard dress. Note the detailing at the shoulder of the older child's dress. This could be a representation of symbolic leading strings. Both children wear long stockings. The older one wears black long stockings and the other wears what look to be dark colored long stockings.

Reader Comments

An English reader writes, "Your recent page on American dress chronologies linked back to a portait of the three children and the speculation as to whether one of the two children wearing dresses was a boy. Here you thought the child wearing the plaid dress was a boy. I showed it to my daughter, she is the fashion expert, I am the historian. She notices that dress of the child on the left has embellishment on the caps of the sleeves and the bottom of the lacing on the bodice. The lacing of the child's dress in the centre is quite plain, and no other embellishment is present. This may weigh in favour of the centre child being a boy."

Created: 4:10 PM 1/4/2005
Last updated: 5:17 AM 6/13/2008