Figure 1.--This cabinet card portrait shows a public (private boarding) school boy wearing his school uniform consisting of a peaked cap (orperhaps a beanie), Eton collar, and and vested suit. Noticed the badge and segment piping. The portrait is undated, but was probably taken in yhe 1880s. The boy wars a privaste school uniform. We do not know the name of the school, but probably was near Bromley. The studio was E Davey Lavender in Bromley, Kent.

Our chronological information on British school headwear is limited, especially before the 20th century. We are unsure what boys wore before the 19th century. This would primarily mean the public (elite private boarding) svhools because England did not have a state school system in the 18th century. And we are not sure about the early-19th century as well. We think some boys wore peaked military caps with tassels. With the advent of photography at mid-century we know much more. The peaked caps appeared at this time, at first as a spots cap, but gradually became more widely adopted as a standard school cap. You can see the colored circles with the uuniform at a prep school or a junior boy at a public school (figure 1). We note mortar boards in the 19th century, but believe its origins are much earlier. We see boaters at mid-century which seems be when they first appeared. Top hats were worn at a few pretigious public schools. The top hat appeared in the mid-19th century, but we are not sure when schools like Eton and Harrow adopted them. It was the peaked cap that became standard wear at British schools, even state schools that did not have uniforms. We know more about the 20th century, but we see a destinct decline in the types of headwear worn. We see boaters, mortar boards, and top hats at a few schools. The standard school headwear became the peaked cap. They were done in a dizzening variety of colors and as well as various colored circles and colored segments. While they first appeared at public schools, the peaked cap became standard wear at state schools as well even though these schools at first did not have uniforms. We see these caps in other countris as well, but no where were they as prevalent as in England. The school cap became an iconic item of English schoolwear. The populariy of the school cap continued after World War II into the 1950s. After the 50s, schools began to drop the cap as a uniform require ment although they are still worn at a few prep schools. And the caps are still worn for sport, primarily cricket.

The 18th Century

Our chronological information on British school headwear is limited, especially before the 19th century when p;hotography was invented. We are unsure what boys wore before the 19th century. This would primarily mean the public (elite private boarding) svhools because England did not have a state school system in the 18th century and would not begin to do so until the late-18th century.

The 19th Century

And we are not sure about the early- and mid-19th century as well. We think some boys wore peaked military caps with tassels. With the advent of photography at mid-century we begin to learn much more. Photography was not invented until 1839 and even after invented there were relatively few English images until the CDV became popular (1860s) and we do not see many school images until later (1880s). The peaked caps appeared at mid-century, at first as a sports cap, but gradually became more widely adopted as a standard school cap. You can see the colored circles with the uniform at a prep school or a junior boy at a public school (figure 1). We note mortar boards in the 19th century, but believe its origins are much earlier. We see boaters at mid-century which seems be when they first appeared. Top hats were worn at a few pretigious public schools. The top hat appeared in the mid-19th century, but we are not sure when schools like Eton and Harrow adopted them. Much of the available informtion is about private schools. England did not begin to build a public (free state) education system until such systems were well established in America and Germany (1870). Children at these schools, first called 'board schools' did not wear uniforms. It was the peaked cap that became standard wear at British schools, even state schools that did not have uniforms. We see other caps as well but the peaked cap by the end of the century was becoming standard and was beginning to be seen as simply a 'school cap'. While boys at some private schools wore hats, we only see caps at the state public (board) schools. Girls school headwear was even more varied, different types of hats and tams. Caps were not common for the girls, except for sailor caps.

The 20th Century

We know more about the 20th century, but we see a destinct decline in the types of boy's headwear worn. We see boaters, mortar boards, and top hats at a few chools. The standard school headwear became the peaked cap. Girls wore differenbt styles, but the standard for boys became the peaked cap. We also see flat caps in the early 20th century, but we are not sure how many of the boys wearing theese caos were still in school. By the 1920s the peaked cap was ubiquitous and even acquired the rubric 'school cap'. They were done in a dizzening variety of colors and variety such as colored circles and variously colored segments. While they first appeared at public schools, the peaked cap became standard wear at state schools as well even though these schools at first did not have uniforms. We see these caps in other countries as well, but no where were they as prevalent as in England. The school cap became an iconic item of English schoolwear. They were worn at both primary and scecondary schools. The populariy of the school cap continued after World War II into the 1950s. After the 50s, schools began to drop the cap as a uniform requirement. Many of the primary schools that began adopting uniforms in the 1950s did not include a cap as part of the uniform requirement. They began to be unpopular with boys, especially at secondary schools. Some prep schools continued to require them. And the caps were still worn for sport, pimarily cricket.

The 21st Century