Louvre School Uniforms, 1899


Figure 1.--These French school uniforms were pictured in the catalog of the "Grands Magasins du Louvre" in 1899. These do not look like uniforms specifically for military schools, bit look to be uniforms worn at regular secondary schools. There were several different styles of military iniforms worn. I am not sure if all French secondary schools required these military uniforms, but they were certainly very common

We note school uniforms in military styles. These do not look like uniforms specifically for military schools, bit look to be uniforms worn at regular secondary schools. There were several different styles of military iniforms worn. I am not sure if all French secondary schools required these military uniforms, but they were certainly very common.

Chronology

These military styled uniforms were offered in 1899.

Styles

The uniforms depicted here were all long pants uniforms, but the styles varied widely. Some are styled after French army uniforms, some seem to have a more generic military styling. One style looks rather old fashioned with the kempi cap worn in America during the American Civil War (1861-65) and in France during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). Other

Publication

We are unsure as to the actual source of this advertisement. We note it being attributed as the "Grands Magasins du Louvre". We are not sure if this is an actual magazine are some kind of catalog issued by the Louvre art museum.

School Uniforms: Late 19th Centuty

We still have limited information on French school uniforms in the late 19th century. We note many school uniforms in military styles. These do not look like uniforms specifically for military schools, bit look to be uniforms worn at regular secondary schools. There were several different styles of military iniforms worn. I am not sure if all French secondary schools required these military uniforms, but they were certainly very common. We do not know when these military style uniforms were introduced, but we note them by the mid-19th century for secondary school students. One source says that they were for lycées, collèges, and pensions. Lycées and collèges were secondary schools. I'm not sure what a pension was.

French Schools

French school boys wore military uniforms. We have no information at this time, however, as to what extent the academic program and discipline in the schools actually promoted the military.

Reader Comments

A HBC reader writes, "The military school styles for older boys continued. French viewed themselves as very militaristic until the ravages of World War I when the reality of war replaced the more romanticized version engendered by the glory of Napoleon I and the desire to reclaim Alsace-Loraine. The defeat and embarrassment during the Franco Prussian War may have reinforced this desire to train teenagers as disciplined soldiers--in the image of the beliscise Prussians. Jay Winter and Blaine Baggett discuss the French though process in their book "The Great War".






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Created: July 16, 2003
Last updated: July 16, 2003