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School photography was beginning to become an established tradition by the 1880s. Several factors were coming together: 1) increased school attendance, 2) rising incomes, and 3) improving photographic technology. School photographs are a treasure trove of information on children's photography because we see both boys and girls from about 6-19 years of age, but mostly pre-teens because secondary schooling was beginning, but not yet common. In part because most children still lived in rural areas. Rural schools offered a grade1-8 program. Thus we see mostly what pre-teens and a few younger teens were wearing. This meant all of the various garments children were wearing at the various age levels. Because most of the portraits were taken outdoors we even see head wear on some of the portraits. We mostly see boys wearing hats. Some of the boys were wearing caps, but hats dominated. The portrait here is a good example. We see boys wearing a range of outfits, but mostly suits. This was the standard garment even in rural schools. This reflects the fact that casual styles were not yet very common. We see both collar buttoning and lapel jackets. Many were worn with vests. We also see jackets that look like short tunics. We see larger white collars. Fauntleroy suits became a major style, but we do not see many at school given the age range. We do begin to see some sailor suits. Boys mostly wore long pants suits in the 19th century, but this was beginning to change by the 1880s. Younger school-age boys especially in the city might wear knee pants. As the century developed we see older boys wearing knee pants. By the end of the decade knee pants were becoming standard, but not yet common for teenagers. Knee pants were bot as common in rural areas, especially for older boys. The girls all wore dresses, often with a pinafore. We are not sure if the portraits without pinafores were because the girls took them off for the portrait or actually did nit wear them. Both boys and girls wore long stockings, mostly black long stockings. Boys wore knee pants worn with long stockings, mostly black long stockings. The girls wore their dresses with long stockings. We primarily see high-top button shies for both boys and girls.
Because most of the portraits were taken outdoors we even see head wear in some of the portraits. We mostly see boys wearing hats. Some of the boys were wearing caps, but hats dominated. The portrait here is a good example. We see boys wearing a range of outfits, but mostly suits. This was the standard garment even in rural schools. This reflects the fact that casual styles were not yet very common.
Younger boys still wore dresses and other skirted garments in the 19th century. But in the 1880s this was mostly kilt suits. But a most boys were breached by age 6 years, this does not show up in the photographic record. Some boys wore tunics, but it was not all that common as we do not see much sign of it in the photographic record. The girls virtually all wore dresses. We see very few blouses and skirts. We are not entirely sure whether dressing up for school was involved or blouses and skirts were were just not commonly worn even for casual occasions. The girls often wore dresses with a protective pinafore, usually white. There were huge differences from school to school. This seem more the case in urban than rural schools. We are not sure id the portraits without pinafores were because the girls took them off for the portrait or actually did not wear them.
The blouse was primarily a boys' garment in the 19th century. We see very few girls wearing blouses and skirts in the school portraits. Girls mostly wore dresses. But because boys commonly wore suit jackets, we do not get a very good look at their blouses.
Suit were very common even for boy in rural areas. We see both collar buttoning and lapel jackets. Many were worn with vests. We also see jackets that look like short tunics. We see larger white collars. Fauntleroy suits became a major style, but we do not see many at school given the age range. We do begin to see some sailor suits, mostly in urban schools.
American boys mostly wore long pants suits to school in the 19th century. We first see shortned-length pants at mid century, but not yet many at schools (1860s). This was especially the case for rural areas where most boys lived and attended school (1860s). This began to change in the 1870s. This was only a minority of boys and for the most part only the younger boys. By the 1880s, however, knee pants were becoming standard for younger boys. And thanks to the developing tadition of school photography we ahve a substabtial numbrb of images making vali assssments popular. They tended to be cut long at calf level. We only see the actual knee level pants becoming common by the late-1880s. American knee pants were commonly done with three decorative buttons atthe knee hem--an artifact of 18th century knee breeches. We see younger boys, especially in the city, wearing knee pants. The 2nd or 3rd graders here at a town school look to be wearing knee pants (figure 1). Unlike Europe, they were all straight-leg knee pants. We rarely see American boys wearing knickers. As the century developed we see older boys wearing knee pants. By the end of the 1880s decade knee pants had become standard for younger boys. While they were not yet standard for teenagers, we begin to see some younger teens wearing them. Knee pants were not as common in rural areas, especially for older boys. But we see the younger boys in rural areas beginning to wear them. We can see some of these tends in the 1880s individual school page.
Both boys and girls wore long stockings, mostly black long stockings. Boys wore knee pants with long stockings, mostly black long stockings. The girls wore their dresses with long stockings.
We primarily see high-top button shies for both boys and girl. We believe many children came to school barefoot. especially in the southern states, but we can not yet conform this from the photographic record.
While we know going barefoot was common, school was clearly see as an occasion where children were dressed up to attend. Perhaps this meant that children might have more commonly worn shoes. Also important is that some rural children had quite a walk to school. That might have mitigated toward pu chsing shoes. Here we are trying to explain why so few 19th century children are barefoot in the school photographs. Now this is understandable during the winter months, but not the warmer months.
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