Figure 1.-- The portrait is interesting in that all the boys are wearing the same identical suits, or virtually all. The most obvious difference is the caps that they are wearing. While most boys wear the basic school cap with piping, a few boy have palin dark caps with the school badge. These are proably the prefects or boys who have won their colors. |
The peaked cap was almost universally worn by English school boys in the early 20th century. The design was basically the same, but there were dizzing variety of colors and designs. Primarily the color and design selected identified the school. But there were differences within school. At first glance the boys here all seem to be weaking dark caps with light-colored piping. A closer examination leads us to a few boys who have caps without the piping and a round badge. Presumably these are boys who have won win their "colors"--meaning that they have played on the school sports teams for a certain period of time. A HBC reader believes that the boys with the solid-colored caps are the prefects, which is also quite likely. He writes, "There are two types of cap worn. The older boy's seem to have a badge on it. I suspect that these are the school prefects."
The peaked cap was almost universally worn by English school boys in the late 19th and early 20th century. The cap was an important part of the school uniform. It was commonly worn at both private and state schools, even though state schools did not have uniforms. Boys were expected to "doff" there caps when passing school staff out doors. The design was basically the same, but there were dizzing variety of colors and designs. Primarily the color and design selected identified the school. But there were differences within school.
At first glance the boys here all seem to be weaking dark caps with light-colored piping. I am not sure what color they were, but presumably the same as the stripped school tie. Often the color matched the boys' blazers, but at this school they wear suits rather than blazers. We note that the caps that these boys wear have no button at the crown there the piping rays meet. Many school caps had a button top at the crown.
A closer examination leads us to a few boys who have caps without the piping and a round badge. Presumably these are boys who have won win their "colors"--meaning that they have played on the school sports teams for a certain period of time. A HBC reader believes that the boys with the solid-colored caps are the prefects, which is also quite likely. He writes, "There are two types of cap worn. The older boy's seem to have a badge on it. I suspect that these are the school prefects." Anoither reader agrees, "I was wondering whether the different style of cap indicated the wearer was a prefect." HBC agrees that this is the most likely senario, but notes that boys winning their colors at many schools weree awarded special ties or caps.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[The 1880s]
[The 1890s]
[The 1900s]
[The 1910s]
[The 1920s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Long pants suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Socks]
[Eton suits]
[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer]
[School sandals]