Figure 1.--These children were photographed in Salem, C (Connecticut) about 1905. The little boy has a white hairbow and his sister a plaid hairbow. We have no idea on what basis this selection was made. Note that both children have identical ringlet hair styles. The boy's ringlets are shorter, perhaps because he was younger and his hair wss not a long as his sister's hair. Image courtesy of the RG collection. Click on the image forvmore information.

George Eastman introduced the Kodak Brownie in 1900. This revolutionalized photography. The average person could now take photographs anywhere he wanted, around home or on vacation. This moved photograpy out of the studio. Thus in the 1900s we not only have studio portraits, but increasing numbers of amatuer family snapshots showing children in more more animated poses and natural settings. For the most part girls still only wore dresses. Girls wore white dresses as well as colored ones. The small girl's dress covered her knees and her waistline was placed low. Tots under 6 years wore a baby style, soft, full frocks shirred to a tiny yoke. Though schoolgirls wore shirtwaist and skirt there were three popular and almost uniform styles for that age and under, the sailor costume or "middy" blouse, the Russian tunic with pleated skirt and the jumper dress of navy serge worn over a lingerie blouse or "guimpe." Accordion pleating designated a party dress. From about 1908 for everyday wear small girls for play wore bloomers instead of drawers and petticoats. Many girls wore pinnies. Hairbows were very popular and sometimes quite large. The shirtwaist was still a popular style for young women and widely worn by the sufregettes of the day. One of the enduring images of the 1890s and 1900s are the Gibson girls in shirt waists.

1900s

About 1900: Beachwear: English children--museum exhibition

1900s: Striped pinafore and shaved head: Russian girl

1900s: White hair bow, dress, stockings and black strap shoes: American girl

Early 1900s

Early 1900s: Schoolwear and hair styles: English village school children

Early 1900s: Pinafores: English village school children

Early 1900s: Fancy pinafores: German family celebration

Early 1900s: Pinafores and dresses: English school children

Early 1900s: Pinafores and fancy dresses: American children

Early 1900s: Dresses: Canadian family

1900

1900: White and light-colored dresses: American family

About 1900: Tunic suit: German girl (perhaps)

About 1900: Beachwear: English children

1901

1901: Winter leggings: French brother and sister in a park

1901: Fancy hat and dress: German girl

1902

1902: Sailor suit anbd white frilly desses: German cousins

1902?: White dress and hair style: American girl

1903

1903: Brothers and sistrs: German family

1904

1904: Short dress: French girl with friend

1904: White pinafore and dress: American girl with older brother

1904: White frocks Scottish children

1905

About 1905: White dresses: American brothers and sisters

About 1905: Shirt waists: Black American family

About 1905: Beach wear: German brother and sister

About 1905: White dresses: American brother and sister

About 1905: White dress: American girl

About 1905: White tunic: American girl

About 1905: Fancy sailor dresses: American sisters

About 1905: Girl's low-waisted dress: American girl and brothers

About 1905: Dark dress: German girl with family

About 1905: Little girl's white dress: American girl with brother

About 1905: Girl's hairbow and pinafore: American girl with brother

About 1905: Girl's white dress and tam: German girl with family

1905: Girls' dresses: American catalog

1905: Girl's party dress: Swiss girl

1906

1906: Blouse and skirt and dress: English sisters with their brothers

1906: Dress and pinafore: Swiss girl

1906: Dresses: Irish emigrants

1907

1907: White party dress and knee pants suit American graduation outfits

1907: Dresses: Extended American family

1907: Swimsuits: American girl with brother and sister

1907: Resort clothing: English children

1907: Little girl's print dress: Finish girl

1908

1908: Girls' white party dresses and hairbows : American children at a birthday party

1908: Girls' dresses: English girls with brothers

1909

1909: Girl' sailor and peasant-style dresses: German family

1909: Girls' sailor suit: German girl

Girls' hats and dresses American children

Created: April 26, 2003
Last updated: 9:42 PM 12/31/2018