Figure 1.--Here we see a group of Enlish boys, probably about 1910. This s, however, only a guess, perhaps our Rnglish readers will have a better ix on the date. Notice how many are wearing caps. The boys are wearing both peaked school caps and flat caps. Some of the boys wearing flat caps may have finished schools. At the time it was common for working class chldren to finish primary school zt about age 13 years. The boys wearing the fancier school caps probably attended primvate schools or perhaps a grammar (selective secondary) school.

We have some information on English school headwear from the 19th century, but we know much more about the 20th century. This is because while we mostly have studio portaits from the 19th century. With the invention of the Kodak Brownie and similar system, we have the vast expansion of amateur photography nd the prlifeation of snap shts. This took photography out of the studio and we begin to see just when and where farments were worn, in thus scase school headwear. Wuth the new century, we see a destinct decline in the types of boy's headwear worn. We see boaters, mortar boards, and top hats at a few schools. The standard school headwear became the peaked cap. Girls wore differenbt styles, but the stndard 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 eveb aquired the rubric 'school cap'. They were done in a dizzening variety of colors and variety such as colored circles and variously colored segments. Whuke 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 a 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 schoolsthat bgan adopting uniforns in the 1950s did not include a acp as part of he uniform requirement. They began toi be unpopular wuth boys, especually at secondary schools. Some prep schools continued to require them. And the caps were still worn for sport, pimarily cricket.

The 1900s

We have some information on English school headwear from the 19th century, but we know much more about the 20th century. This is because while we mostly have studio portaits from the 19th century. With the invention of the Kodak Brownie and similar system, we have the vast expansion of amateur photography nd the prlifeation of snap shts. This took photography out of the studio and we begin to see just when and where farments were worn, in thus scase school headwear. Wuth the new century, we see a destinct decline in the types of boy's headwear worn. We see boaters, mortar boards, and top hats at a few schools. The standard school headwear ws becoming the peaked cap. Girls wore differenbt styles, but the stndard 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 caps were still in school.

The 1910s

We see more peaked caps in the 1910s, but quite a number of boys were still wering flat caps. What complicates matters is that we are not sure if the boys wearing the flatcaps were still in school. They might have been worn to state schools, but they were not official school caps.

Th 1920s

By the 1920s the peaked cap was ubiquitous and eveb aquired the rubric 'school cap'. The school caps were done in a dizzening variety of colors and variety such as colored circles and variously colored segments. Whike the school cap first appeared at public schools in the mid-19h century as a games cap, the peaked cap became standard wear at state schools. State schools at the time did not have uniforms. Uniforms wre only worn at private schools. We see these caps in other countries as well, but no where were they as prevalent a England. The school cap became an iconic item of English schoolwear. Private schoo caps often had badges identifying the school like blazer badges. They were worn at both primary and secondary schools. The lainer caps were more likely to be orn at state schools.

The 1950s

The populariy of the school cap continued after World War II into the 1950s. They werecstill quite common during the decade, although were ecoming unpopular with older boys by the end of the decade.

The 1960s

School caps began to notably decline in the 1960s. we still see them, but they wre much lss common. After the 50s, schools began to drop the once ub=iquitous school cap as a uniform requirement. This occured first at secary schools, but gradually filtered down to the primry school. At the same time, many of the primary schools that began adopting uniforns in the 1950s did not include a a cap as part of the uniform requirement. This varid from school to school. They became increasingly unpopular with boys, especially at secondary schools. We no longer see tem cmmnly at public (elite private secondary boarding) schools, but they continued to be widely worn at prep schools continued to require them. And the caps were still widely worn for sport, pimarily cricket. Boys were awarded rgheir caps as colors in the same way American boys were awarded letters.

The 1970s