Figure 1.-- This is a wonderful photo of a whole phalanx of Berlin school children on their way to school. They all wear their book satchels on their backs held there by the traditional shoulder straps. And unlike most photographs it is a back view giving us a good view of the satchels. The source suggests the 1930s. The early-30s is certainly possible, but the clothing seems to us more consistent with the 1920s than the 30s. Notice the variety of hats, including (for the boys) both school caps with bills and flat caps. All of the children wear long stockings. Interestingly, the girls appear to favor the new beige or light tan stockings, while the boys wear darker shades. This is probably just accidental, because both boys and girls wore long stockings of various shades in the 1920s and 1930s. Black, brown, and tan, however, seem to have dominated. The children look to be about 9 or 10 years old. |
