Figure 1.--This class portrait is not dated or unidentified, but wa clearly taken in America. Some countries are difficult to identify, but the knickers and loud knee socks clearly identifiy this group as American. They are posed on the steps of their brick school building. We can tell it was taken in the early-30s because that is when knickers were still nearly universal. And unlike the 20s, these loud knee socks were popular. One of the students is identified, on the back as Annabelle Mae Painter, we think she is the one in the second row, next to last, with the mark on the front of her. This wasa common way of identified children who had died. Written on the back, in pencil is In Memory of Annabell Painter, this writing is totally different from the name written in ink, looks almost like a child wrote it. The photo measures about 4 3/4 by 2 3/4 inches with a white border, common for snap shots. The photo came in a box of old photos from the Berks and Lebanon Counties in Pennsylvania, but, we don't know if that is where this photo is from.

Schoolwear trends were still quite varied around the globe during the 1930s. Trends varied substabtially from country to country. American boys were less commonly wearing suits to school. Boys often wore corduroy knickers to school at the beginning of the decade and knee socks were replacing long stockings. Younger boys might wear short pants. Knickers were going out of style by the end of the decade. More and more boys were wearing long pants including some younger boys. Almost all older boys wore long pants. Sweaters were popular during the winter. Older boys wore long pants and younger boys short pants. Further north in Canada, knickers continued to be popular. Short pants were common throughout Europe. English boys continued wearing the same styles as they wore in the 1920s. Peaked caps, blazers, short trousers, and knee socks were widely worn. French children commonly wore smocks. German boys continued wearing short pants to schoo with both knee socks and long stockings. Suits were less common than in the 1920s. We still see boys wearing sailor suits to school at the beginning of the decade. A good example is an unidentified secondary school. We see far fewer sailor suits by the end of the decade. The NAZIs looked on them as too middle class for the unified Reich thst Hitler was building. Many Italian children also wore smocks.

Africa

Public schools as we know them are basiclly an Europen convention. Schools do not exist until the invention of writing and sub-Saharn Africa was a pre-literate society. Thus we do not see schools in Africa until the arrival Arans of the Europeans. Neither of which was inteested in educating Africans. This did not change until the 19th century nd the arrival of European missionaries. This is about the same time that Euopean countries began founding colonies--the Scramble for Africa. As part of the colonmization process some schools erte founded, but no colonil mpower founded a pubklic school system ained an educating all children. (The only colonial mpower to do this was the United States in the Philippine Islands. The reason was tht there was no partuculpar advantage to the colonial power and it was expensive. More schools were founded in the 20th century, but mostly after World War II as the Africn ciuntries began to move toward indeondence, but still there were no public school systems. This only began after indeoendence. So in the 1930s we see schools in Africa, but only a small minority of African children actually attended any schools.

America, Latin

America, North

America

Major changes were observable in American schoolwear during the 1930s. The most observable difference was that schoolwear was becoming more informal. It was becoming much less common for primary-level boys to wear suits and ties to school, although there were some schools where suits were expected. And we still see some boys wearing suits where they were not expected. Suits were worn at private schools or some primary schools in better neighborhoods. They were also still commonly worn secondary schools, especially by the older boys. The youngest boys in primary school might dress in short pants. Most boys wore knickers and by the end of the decade long pants, often with sweaters when the weather turned cool. Usually only the younger boys wore shorts although there were some regional differences. There were also social class diiferences. Boys in the South or from well-to-do families were more likely to wear short pants. There were also seasonal differences. One of the most popular style in the 1930s was corduroy knickers. Knickers were the dominant pants at the beginning of the decade, but steadily declined in popularity as the decade progressed. We see more and younger boys weaing long pants. One observable change was that long stockings declined in popularity. Most boys wearing knickers in the 1930s wore them with knee socks, often with loud patterns. Long pants gradually became more common during the 30s, even for younger boys.

Canada

Further north in Canada, knickers continued to be popular.

Europe

Europe and other Western ciyntries were still the only countries that had extensive public educrion systems. By the 1930s public education was widespraad throughout Europe. There were some poor countries where education opportunities were limited, not only because of Government spending, but family ability to support the education of older children. Large nunbers of girls were also now going to school. Secondary and higher education still lagged for working-class boys and girls in general. Education had lagged in Tsarist Russiam but the new Soviet Government made it a priority. the other major totalitarian state, NAZI Germny, benefitted by the country's fine education system, but a range of NAZI policies danaged the system. This did not impavt the ciuntry in World War II, but would have in the future. Britain and France also had fine public education system. But throught the continent most children only pursued 8-year primary programs. Most children did not continue to secondary school. The European school systems were the best in the world, especially Germany, Britain, and France. Only America rivaled the European systems. The Great Depression dominated the 1930s. In America this ctually promited education. Many children decided to continue their education after finishing primary school because jobs were often unavailable even for adults. This does not sem to have had a similar impact in Europe where the ecomonies seem to have begun recovering earlier than in America. Children commonly dressed up for school, somewhat more casual dress was beginning to be seen. Few children wore uniforms to school, although there were some Soviet and NAZI schools that required uniforms. Unifoms were standard at British private schools. These uniforms also impcred chool wear in the stte system. Some Catholic schools in France also had uniforms. The smocks worn in France and Italy by boys and girls were somewhat like a uniform.

Middle East and South Africa

Oceania

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Created: 10:47 PM 9/3/2022
Last updated: 10:47 PM 9/3/2022