Figure 1.--This CDV portrait shows Frank Dryden (writing a little indistinct) in the 1860s. He was born April 8, 1857. The photograph was taken June 15, 1867. He would have been 10 years old at the time. Frank wears a light-colored collar-buttoning jacket with matching long pants. He also seems to have a perfectly matching rounded-crown hat. Notce what looks like a short streamer. The studio was the J. Winans Art Gallery in Independence. Missouri. Indeendence locatd at the confluence of the Missouri amd Mississippi Rivers wasa boom town at the time. It was an important jumping off point for the Oregon Trail and pioneers headed for California.

Rounded-crown hats were very common for boys in the 19th century. And they were commnly worn with suits which became vert commn by mid-century. Rounded-crown hats appear to be the most common hedwear for bys during the 19th century. We see countless boys in the photographic record wearing these hats, commonly with suits. As best we can tell, these hats usully did not match the suits. The hts were not done with pattern and commonly the color foes not look to match. Thisis to be expected because th hats were not done with suiting material. We notice some examples where the hats seem to match the suit. We are ot sure if they were actually sold togeher or if mother hs just chosen a hat tht closely match the suit. We wonder if some stores may have offered hats that matched the suits. Of course hats and suits in the 19th century were commpnly worn so it seems likely that some would have matched without being part of an actual suit.

Created: 4:20 AM 4/19/2014
Last updated: 4:20 AM 4/19/2014