Figure 1.-- The "Good Housekeeping Magazine" had an ad for Black Cat reinforced stockings which the entire family wears. September was obviously the month when mothers would be buying stockings for their young children getting ready for school. The boy in the photograph wears a Norfolk style knee pants suit with elbow-length sleeves and two (white?) ornamental buttons on his trousers, black long stockings, and low cut, slipper-like shoes. . |
American children in 1916 still commonly wore long stockings. The Good Housekeeping Magazine (September, 1916, p. 133) had an ad for Black Cat reinforced stockings which the entire family wears. September was obviously the month when mothers would be buying stockings for their young children getting ready for school. The boy in the photograph wears a Norfolk style knee pants suit with elbow-length sleeves and two (white?) ornamental buttons on his trousers, black long stockings, and low cut, slipper-like shoes. He wears a large white collar resembling an Eton collar in some respects and some sort of string tie. He points to the hosiery of his parents, surprisedly noting that they too wear "Black Cat" stockings.
American children in 1916 still commonly wore long stockings. Little children might wear socks during the summer, but older children mostly wore long stockings. This was true for school, play and dresswear and was especially true once the weather tirned cool.
The Good Housekeeping Magazine (September, 1916, p. 133) had an ad for Black Cat reinforced stockings which the entire family wears. Good Housekeeping Magazine of course is one of the principal American women's magazines. It often carried advertisements for children clothings. Ads for hosiery and underwear were especially common. Good Housekeeping first appeared May 2, 1885. It was one of of several popular women's magazines established suring the 1880s and 1890s. The magazine
provided information about running a home and raising children. This the modern Good Housekeeping conytinues today. The Good Housekeeping seal of approval
was developed to assure housewives of a product's value. Letters from readers were an important facet. The early magazine, however, also included a broad range
of literary offerings. Good Housekeeping was founded by journalist-businessman Clark W. Bryan in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The magazine moved to Springfield,
but by 1911 the circulation was only 0.3 million. This changed when it was purchased by the William Randolph Hearst and moved to New York. The citculation
was soon in the millions of copies. Many well known writers have contributed to Good Housekeeping, including Somerset Maugham, Edwin Markham, Edna St.
Vincent Millay, Frances Parkinson Keyes, and Evelyn Waugh. Following the death of President Calvin Coolidge his widow, Grace Goodhue Coolidge,
memorialized him in its pages. In an efforts to stay close to its audience, Good Housekeeping accepts articles by ordinary readers who are not professional writers.
No one individual is more associated with Good Housekeeping than famed American children's illustrator Jesie Wilcox Smith. Over two decades, Good
Housekeeping brought her work into millions of Americans homes every month (1917-33). In all she did more than 200 covers for the magazine.
Black Cat was a trade name for the Chicago-Kenosha Hosiery Company, Kenosha, Wisconsin. It appears to be a well established hosiery company. I'm nt sure when it was founded, but apparently about 1885.
September was obviously the month when mothers would be buying stockings for their young children getting ready for school.
The boy in the photograph wears a Norfolk style knee pants suit with elbow-length sleeves and two (white?) ornamental buttons on his trousers, black long stockings, and low cut, slipper-like shoes. He wears a large white collar resembling an Eton collar in some respects and some sort of string tie.
The boy in the ad points to the hosiery of his parents, surprisedly noting that they too wear "Black Cat" stockings. The ad copy reads:"`Why, Daddy, You and Mother Wear Black Cat, Too!" "What this little shaver doesn't know though, is that thirty years ago when father and mother were children, they even then wore Black Cat--just as he
does today. Three decades of durability have freed from the darning basket generations of mothers who have bought Black Cat Reinforced Hosiery `for all the family.' Styles for men, women, children--durably reinforced against wear with extra threads woven in at toe, sole and heel. On men's hose, welted ribbed tops do not rip off. On women's hosiery, lisle garter tops are reinforced. On children's stocking, "play-proof," triple knees delight thousands of mothers. Black Cat Reinforced Silk Hosiery for men and women is genuine Japan Silk pure and "unloaded" where is shows; yet reinforced where
wear comes." "Black Cat Dyes are guaranteed fast color. We are the only hosiery
manufacturers in America making aniline dyes. We guarantee Black Cat Dyes to
be fast-color, non-cracking and a protection to wearers' feet." "The text for "Children's Reinforced Hosiery" at the bottom of the page (with
an illustration showing the reinforced triple knee) reads: "No. 55--Fine guage
for `Sunday-Wear' Reinforced heel and toe. 25c up. See also Nos. 15, 20, 10 or
18--the `Leather Stocking' series--wear like leather. 25c up." "Send for the Free Black Cat Catalog showing our 61 Standard Styles in Silks, Cottons, Silk Lisles, Wools and Merinos in all Weights and Colors. For all the Family. From 25c up. Chicago-Kenosha Hosiery Company, Kenosha, Wisconsin. Made in U.S.A. for Over 30 Years!"
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