Figure 1.--This is a CDV portrait, but the subject was not the child seen here, but a drawing of the child. We begin to see CDVs in the early 1860s, but some may have been taken in the very late-1850s. The original drawing is undated, but we wold estimate was taken in the 1850s. We Assumed at first that the child was a girl and without any identification, tha seems the most likely. But notice the center part. This was more common for boys. Girls normally had center parts. Notice the characteristic sleeves. Also notice the socks and bare legs. This was common in Europe, but Ameican girls mostly wore long stockings. The studio was Joseph Ward in Boston.

Large numbers of images which can be used to study girls' dresses only become available in the mid-19th century because of photography. We want to develop information on dress fashion trends over time. We also want among other matters to see how girls' dress styles compared to adult women's styles, especially in the 19th century when younger boys still commonly wore dresses . This will be very useful in improving our ability to date old photographs, many of which are not dated. This is complicated by the fact that it is difficult to differentiate between 1840s and 50s Daguerreotypes. We note many younger children without collars and low necklines. Foradult women this was more of a dressy style. For children it may have been more common. We do also see children's dresses with collars. One of the notable features of 1850s dresses is the sleeve treatment (figure 1). We see very wide sleeves that fall short of the wrist. And emerging from the sleeves are heavily blosed vlouse sleeves with tight wrist closures. One source suggests ghat this was a style popular in the early- and mid-1850s. Another that it was still popular at the end of the decade. We are still working on this. It is difficult to work out because so few Dags are dated. We hope to work it out by using Ambros which only appeared about 1855. Women had hem lines down to their shoes. Children had shorter hem lines. We are not yet sure about the hosiery worn with dresses in the 1850s, but long pantalettes were common. Some children has shoe length hem lines like their mothers.

Collars/Necklines

We note many younger children wearing dresses without collars and with variious low necklines. For adult women this was more of a dressy style, adopted for ekegant socvial events. For children, both girls and younger boys, it seems to have been very common. We do also see children's dresses with collars. We are not yet sure about either prevalence or age coventions. A good example are the Farnum children about 1855.

Sleeve Treatment

One of the notable features of 1850s dresses is the sleeve treatment (figure 1). We see very wide sleeves that fall short of the wrist. And emerging from the sleeves are heavily blosed vlouse sleeves with tight wrist closures. This was just one way of doing the sleeves, but it seems very fashionjable in the 1850s. One source suggests ghat this was a style popular in the early- and mid-1850s. Another that it was still popular at the end of the decade. We are still working on this. It is difficult to work out because so few Dags are dated. We hope to work it out by using Ambros which only appeared about 1855. We do not see this sleeve treatmennt to any extent in the 1860s, although our assessment has just begun. We note this sleeve traeatment also be used for boys' tunics.

Hem Lines

Women had hem lines down to threir shoes. Children had shorter hem lines. We are not yet sure about the hosiery worn with dresses in the 1850s, but long pantalettes were common. Notice the pantalettes and socks here (figure 1). Some children has shoe length hem lines like their mothers.

Created: 8:37 PM 6/26/2017
Last updated: 6:26 AM 4/27/2018