Figure 1.-- This school portrait looks like a school class complete with a teacher and her impressive hair do. The children look to be about 12-13 years old. They are probably the older children at an 8-year elemntary (primary) school. We do not see much of the school, but it was a brick building as this was only one class, it must have been a substantial school. Clearly it was not a small rural school. We see boys with suit jackets, but no ties. Given how the children are dressed, especially the boys, we believe it was a small town school, not a city school. The portrait is undated, but we believe it was taken in the early 1910s. It was a cabinet card with a dark green mount. It was the new style mount, a style common in the 1900s. The clothes are, however, more like the 1910s. Thus the early-1910s seems a likely date. Notice the boy at left having a little fun with the girl.

A major and rather sudden change in boys schoolwear occurred about 1908-10. We do not know why such a sudden change occurred. American boys who for several decades had been wearing straight-leg knee pants suddenly shifted to knickers. We begin to see this in 1908 and even more so 1909, and it was largely an established standard by 1910. This can clearly be seen in the photogrphic record. Knee pants were standard boys wear in the 1900s, but knickers were standard in the 10s. Most boys thus wore knickers to school in the 1910s. A few younger boys wore knee pants, but most boys wore knickers. Suits were still commonly worn to school, at least in urban areas. Norfolk knickers suits worn with flat caps were very popular--virtually iconic. Another major development in the 1910s was the the rise of the automobile. For decades school zone trafic signs would picture a boy wearing a flat cap and knickers. As this was occurring we also begin to see fewer older teenagers wearing shortened-length pants. We see some older boys wearing knee pants in the 1900. With the switch to knickers, we see fewer older teens. This varied from family to family. There was another major change at the same time that boys were switching from knee pants to knickers. Many boys in rural areas began wearing bib-front overalls. We also see this very clearly in the photographic record. These overalls were not new. Workers and farmers had begun wearing them in the mid-19th century. For some reason, it is only in the 1910s that for some unknown reason, boys in rural areas began wearing them to school. This was not just a few boys, but we see large numbers of boys in rural schools suddenly wearing them. We have no idea why overalls appeared so suddehntly in rural schools. Some boys wore overalls with suit jackets, we think because wearing suits to school was stll common in the 1910s. It was also common in rural areas to come to school barefoot. This was not unknown in city schools, but was much more common in small towns and rural schools.

Major Change

A major and rather sudden change in boyswear occurred about 1908-10. We do not know why such a sudden change occurred. American boys who for several decades had been wearing straight-leg knee pants suddenly shifted to knickers. We begin to see this in 1908 and even more so 1909, and it was largely an established standard by 1910, at least in the cities. The shift took a little longer in rural areas where some boys still wore long pants. This can clearly be seen in the photogrphic record. Knee pants were standard boys wear in the 1900s, but knickers were standard in the 10s. Knickers were not as common in rural areas as they were in urban areas. Many of the boys wearing long pants are seen in rural areas and fiorv the first time we begin to commonly see boys wearuing overalls. We see these chamges taking place in the school photograophy as chikldren wire thaeir regular clothes to school. And the school ophotography involved large numbers of children and quite a bumber of images are dated. .

Garments

Flat caps were very common in the 1919s. We still see a lot of boys wearing suits to school in the 1910s, mostly lapel jackets. We see some sailor suits, mostly younger boys in urban schools. Sailor styling seems more common with the girls. Suits were still commonly worn to school, at least in urban areas. Norfolk knickers suits worn with flat caps were very popular--virtually iconic. Many youngr boys and boys in rural areas did not wear ties with their jackets. Ties were more common at urbans schools in middle-class neighborhoods. Notice several of the boys here are wearing suit jackets with overalls (figure 1). We see a lot of sweaters in the 1900s, including new styles. Many are done like button-up jackets. Most boys thus wore knickers to school in the 1910s. In rural ares overalls were common. A few younger boys wore knee pants, but most boys wore knickers mostly with long stockings as was the case with knee pants. Some school images show all the children, both boys and girls wearing black long stockings. We still see motly high-top shoes.

Hair Styles

The photographic record privides details about children's hair styles in the 1900s. Most boys had short hair in the 1910s. Oftren younger boys had curls, but almost all had their hair cuyt short before beginning school. Many younger boys in primsru school had bangs. Side parts became increasingly common as the boys grew older. A few boys had center parts. The hair was cut short and usually did not civer the ears. Girls had more vsaried styles, many with center parts. They generally wore their hir long. We do not see mny with bobbed hir. What we do see is many girls with lsrge hair bows. White was a popular color, but we see colored bows as well. Girls of all ages wore hair bows.

Automobiles

Another major development in the 1910s was the the rise of the automobile. Henry Ford's Model T appeared in 1908 and began to remake America. The United States would become the only country in which average people could own an automobile. This turned the country's leading industrial nation into an economic giant. And the autmobil would have vast repercussions on Anerican life. For decades school zone trafic signs would picture a boy wearing a flat cap and knickers. We are not sure just when these signs were first intrduced. We would guess about 1920.

Age Trends

There were a few Kindergardens in the 1910s, but most children began school with 1st grade at age 6 years. We still see boy dressing up in suits for school, but less commonly than in the 1900s. We mostlky see siots with lapel jackets. Norfolk suits were popular. We still see a few collar buttoning jackets. Ties were still quite connon. Sweaters were common at some schools, sonething that was not very common in the 1900s and earlier decades. . Knee pants went out of style in the late-1900s decade. We stiil see some of younger boys wearing knee pants, but mostly we see boys weaing knickers. Like with knee oants, they weere worn with long stockings. We do not see short pants yet. This varied a little. Overalls were very common in rural schools, for boys of all ages. There were still many small rural schools. They were generally schools with 8-year programs. City elementary (primary) schools were mostly 6-year schools, although this varied somewhat by state. We nostly see boys wearing knickers in primary schools. gere were somne juniir bhigh schools. Jigh school began with 9th grade. We still see knickers in high school. We begin to see fewer older teenagers wearing shortened-length pants in the 1910s. We see some older boys wearing knee pants in the 1900s. With the switch to knickers, we see fewer older teens. This varied from famly to family. Younger teens still commonly wore kniclers, but less commonly older teens, espcially by the end of the decade.

Demographics

During the 1910s the United States was finally approching the the point at which half of the population was living in urban areas which meant atending urban schools rater than small one and two room rural schools. Thus the educational expeiene was changing. And this crossed an imprtant educational threshold. Not only were more children going to city schools, but the were living in communities where secondary schooling (9th-12th grade) was possible. The rural schools only went up to 8th grade. You had to live in a city or town of sone size to attend secondary school meaning high school. Both Germany and America had lead the way in public education. But this mean basically primary education. America would lead the way in public secondary education. Few worjing-class Europeans continued their education into secondary schools.. This began for the first time in America. And the course iofferings included shop classes to prepare teen age boys for non-university careers, There were major changes in schoowear as wwell. that occurred early in the 1910s with boys switching from knee pants to knickers. Many boys at the same time in rural areas began wearing bib-front overalls. We also see this very clearly in the photographic record. These overalls were not new. Workers and rarmers had begun wearing them in the mid-19th century. For some reason, it is only in the 1910s that for some unknown reason, boys in rural areas began wearing them to school. This was not just a few boys, but we see large numbers of boys in rural schools suddenly wearing them. We have no idea why overalls appeared so suddenly in rural schools. Some boys wore overalls with suit jackets, we think because wearing suits to shool was stll common in the 1910s. It was also common in rural areas to come to school barefoot. This was not unknown in city schools, but was much more common in small towns and rural schools.

Gender

Many of the girls hear wear hairbows, but they do not show up well. We see different dress styles. Sailor styling ws popular. We see a few girls still wearing pinafores, but not nearly as many as in the 1900s. Girls like the boys wore long stockings. Black long stockings were very common. Girls also wore high-top sjoes.

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Created: 9:23 PM 5/13/2015
Last updated: 7:41 PM 3/31/2024