Figure 1.--All we know for sure about this photograph is that it was British. Even if a British dealer was not selling it, the stonework wall helps identify it as British rather than American. It is an especially useful image as the children are wearing their headwear, which was usually nmot the case in school photogrphy. The group is almost certainly not a class, both because it is so small and because it is a mixed gender group. We suspose it could be a sunday school group, but a state board school is more likely. Perhaps this school had boys and girls separated into single gender classes. These may have been the top students in the graduating classes. Notice the boys' caps. Sailor styles seem especially popular with girls. Younger boys might have worn sailor caps, but here none of the older boys. The portrait is undated, but looks like the 1890s to us.

W have photogrphic information availavke for the first time in the 19th century, but only for the second half of the centry. And even then mostb of these images are undaed which complicates their usage. We are not sure about school heawar during the early- and mid-19th century. 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 are almost no English school images until the CDV became popular (1860s) and we do not see many school images until later< Som i the 1870, bumire (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 on the previous page. 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. Here we see ppular headwear stles at what we believe is a board school in the 1890s (figure 1).

The 1800s

We are not sure about the early- and mid-19th century as well. Without photography, we do not have our major tool to assess fashion trends. We have some paintings, but this means only a handful of omages compared to what the photographic record will offer by the cend of the century. We think some boys wore peaked military caps with tassels. The military has been a primary infliuence men's and boys' clothing. And these peaked military caps are an example.

The 1840s

With the advent of photography at mid-century a major source of dashion omformation begins to develop. Phtography was not invented until 1839 and even after invented there were relatively few English images. We have many cased Dagguerotyoes and Ambrotypes in America,. But far fewer from England and other European countries. And very few of the omes we have archived are school related.

The 1850s

We note mortar boards in the 19th century, but their 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. As best we can tell, the iconic peaked cap first appeared n the 1850s abd from the beginning was addociated with school wear.

The 1860s

Until the CDV became popular (1860s) and we do not see large numbers of photographic images, but school portraots were not common. We see some individual portraits of boys in school outfits, but often that did not includxe the cap. School photgraphy began with the 1860s. This is because it necesitated the ability of making multiple copies from a single photograhs. This was not possible with Dags, Ambros, and tin-types. But it was possible with the albumen process which became popular (1860s). The albumen process involved negatives which could be used to create multiple prints. It would take some time for the tradition of school portraitsc to develop. The few school portraits we have found show a lot of boys still wearing hats abd not just caps. Here we see a variety of caps and hats. In one school portrait we see rounded-crown and flatish-ronded hats along with kepis, military styled peaked caps ns Scottsh glengaries, but no sasilor caps, or the rounded top peaked caps that ould become the iconic schooln cap style. Clearly therec was no uniformity as to what type of headwear shoud be worn to school.

The 1870s

Parliament passed a major education reform act (1870). This launched the creation of a nation free school program for primary age children. This naent that virtually everyone went to school. This helped fuel the tradition of a school portrait. 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 like the students at the private schools. .

The 1880s

We begin to get more school portaits by the in the 1880s as school photography became as established tradition. Britain began establishing a natiionak tradition of state primary schools (1870s). Anf thus by the 1889s we finaly begin seeing a substantial number of these images. The peaked caps appeared at mid-century, at first as a sports cap, but gradually became a 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 on the previous page. These peaked caps were not yet universal. We still see a variety of caps, at least at the state primaries. The peaked cap was stardard at many private schools. We see prep school boys wearing them and the younger and middle forms or for sports at the public (elite private boarding) schools. But the peaked caps were not yet standard at the state primaries where uniforms were not worn. It was only one of many styles of caps that boys wore. This was because uniforms were not worn at state schools, the chldren wore their own clothes, including caps.

The 1890s

We have by far the most 19th century school images from the 1890s decade. This relects the growth of the photographic industry as well as fact that school portraists were becoming an increasingly established annual ritual. An they were inexoensive enough that many if not most familes could aford them. England was the most prosperous counry in Europe. Wages and opportunities were not as high as in the Umited States, but they were the highest in Europe. This as never before, we know how children dressed for school. 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. Schoolwear was not as colorul as it would become in the 20th century. We are not sure avout the colrs, but believe thatbthey commonly matched to the suits boys wore to school, at least the uniforms at most pricate schools. Boys in state schools did not hace unifoerms, but many boyd wore the peaked school caps as well. And while the bright colprs were nor common. There were differences akning thevcaos. Some has embridery diving the caos in sectiins. Others had emblems at the front dispaying the school crest. Again these gancier caps were the ones for private schools. Girls school headwear was much more varied, different types of hats and tams. Caps were not common for the girls, except for sailor caps. And hirls did mot wear the peaked caps the boys wore. Here we see ppular headwear stles at what we believe is a board school in the 1890s (figure 1).