Figure 1.--This cabinet card shows how dominant knickers became for American boys in the 1910s. We see four unidentified brothers who look to be about 3-11 years old. Here biology help us establish the age trends. They all wear knickers, black long stockings, and high-top shoes and have identical hair cuts. Thuis and the mount help date the portrait to the 1910s. The younger boys wear blouses with large Peter Pan collars and floppy bows. The older boys wear ties and suit jackets. We do not know if the younger boys also had suit jackets and are just not wearing them.

This cabinet card shows how dominant knickers became for Ameerican boys in the 1910s. We see four unidentified brothers who look to be about 3-11 years old. Here biology help us establish the age trends. The new style cabinet card mounts have no studio inormation. They all wear knickers, black long stockings, and high-top shoes and have identical hair cuts. All the brothers are wearing knickers. At least the one seated seems to be wearing elastic bottom or draw string knickers (bloomer style). We suspect the two older brothers are wearing the button or clasp style and the younger one standing is also probably wearing the bloomer style but of course, we cannot tell from this angle. The knickers and the mount help date the portrait to the 1910s. The older boys look to have detachable collars. The younger boys wear blouses with large, attached Peter Pan collars and floppy bows. The older boys wear ties and suit jackets. We do not know if the younger boys also had suit jackets and are just not wearing them. A reader writes, "Very interesting photo. The parent seems to have been very precise concerning dressing and position the boys. If you notice, the two older boys wear double breasted jackets that button on opposite sides from one another. When I was growing up, and my parents bought me a double breasted suit, I do not remember being able to button it either side (maybe in the early-20th century you could), if not, the parent must have been very demanding and the suits were either tailored or home sewn. That would lead me to suspect that the two younger children with their largish floppy bows and round collars did not have jackets." We had not noticed that. We also did not know that these jackets could be buttoned both ways. In looking at the younger boys, it looks like they may be earing ling underwear, altyhough it is not clear. That would suggest the portrai was not taken in the summer, meaning the boys did not have suit jackets. Our reader adds, "Another matter is that the two younger boys are wearing blouses while the older two boys are probably wearing what would be called shirt waists (essentially shirts without collars). With shirt waists have buttons that the trousers can button onto. The two older boys have collars and the oldest child may have a pin holding his tie but it could be a blemish on the image. The older two boys have some sort of striping weave their suits -- popular zat the time. While the younger two children have knickers with a plain flat weeave. And I agree with you that the seated boy appears to have long underwear that seems visible under his black stockings. The telling sign is that the seated boy's right leg seems to have the cuff of his long underwear higher than on his left leg."

Created: 9:51 PM 9/26/2023
Last updated: 4:32 PM 9/27/2023