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school uniform schoolwear : United States school gear
U.S. School Gear
Figure 1.--Here we see three American brothers with their school lunch boxes in a 1966 back to school snapshot. The boys are all dressed alike with floral shirts, jans, and snaekers. Presumably they attended the same elementary (primary) school. They look to be anout 6-11 years old. Notice their lunch boxes are the same, but with different characters. The major difference is the older boys' hair. This was about the time that the short hair tyles popular in the 1950s began to disappear and we begin to see longer styles becoming popular. This varied from family to family and the age of the boys. An American reader writes, "My guess is that their mother liked one set of clothes for the boys and commonly dressed them alike. I remember that my mother dressed my brother and I identically when we were those ages. He was 3 years older than me. My older brother who was 8 years older than me always dressed differently.
A range of gear is associated with American school children. These itemns are mostly associated with books and lunch. At first as far as we know this involved a leather belt. I don't think this began until the 19th century. Two factoirs are at play here. First, belts were not commonly used to hold up trousers in the 17th and 18th centuries. Second, books and paper were expensive and children did not have much to take back and forth to school. Rather children used slates to do school work. Only in the mid-19th century do we see children taking books home from school. And they are often depicted taling them home bound together with a leater belt. American children never had book satchels like German chilldren. After World War II we begin to see backpacks. I recall using an old army back pack. At first only the boys used them. Eventually we begin to see purpose-made school backpacks in bright colors and all kinds of special features. We note children taking lunch pails to school in the late-19th century. They were the same as workers took to work. In the 20th century we begin to see lunch boxes. Until after World war II, few schools had cafeterias. Children brought a lunch or came home for lunch. We are not sure when lunch boxes first appeared, but see them in the 1930s. There were plain lunch boxes and soon we see boxes decorated with popular figure from Shirely Temple to Hopalong Cassidy. This gradually declined as more schools added cafeterias and free lunch programs.
Back Packs
American children never had book satchels like German chilldren. After World War II we begin to see backpacks. I recall using an old army back pack. At first only the boys used them. Eventually we begin to see purpose-made school backpacks in bright colors and all kinds of special features.
Ink Wells
There were not ball-point pens available at a reasomable price until well after World War II in the 1960s. School desks and benches were sesigned to hold inl wells which pens could be dipped into. If course mischivious boys sometimes gave the girls' pig tails a dip or were sorely dempted. Quills were uses in the 18th century. Metal nibs appeared in the 19th century. Children commonly carried fountain pens. Smudged fingers and pages were a constant problem. The modern ball point was invented (1938). The inventor, László Bíró, was a Hungarian Jew who used most of the proceeds of the invention to get his family out of Germany and escape the NAZI Holocaust. It was not until the 1950s that the ball point appeared in any number in stores and were at first very expensive. only by the late-1950s did prices fall to the point that school children could begin to use them and the ubiquitous ink well disappeared from school use.
Leather Belts
One issue was carrying books back and forth to school. At first as far as we know this involved a leather belt. I don't think this began until the 19th century. Two factoirs are at play here. First, belts were not commonly used to hold up trousers in the 17th and 18th centuries. Second, books and paper were expensive and children did not have much to take back and forth to school. Rather children used slates to do school work. Only in the mid-19th century do we see children taking books home from school. And they are often depicted taking them home bound together with a leather belt. This continued well into the 20th century. A good example is we think a 1940s car advertisement.
An issue for school children was lunch. Primary schools often provided a milk break. I recall graham crackers passed out along with the milk-- a wlcomrd brek from the studies. A ritual task each month was collecting milk money. I don't recall anyone doing without, but there must have been some children who did not pay. Lunch was another matter. Few schools until after World War II had cafeterias. In city schools, children often went home for lunch. Some children brought baf lunches to school. Rural children who faced long walks did not have the option of going bome for linch. We note children taking lunch pails to school in the late-19th century. This continued well into the 20th century. A good example is a West Virginia school. We are not sure why pails were used, but they were the same design as factory workers used for their vlunches. They were the same as factory workers took to work. In the 20th century we begin to see lunch boxes. The pails persisted a little longer in rural areas. The contents of the lunch pails and boxes is another interesting question. The lunch boxes by the 1950s might have a thermous. A sandwhich, piece of fruit, and perhaos chips or a cake/cookie were common contents. Low income children might not be so lucky. We note one rural boy in the 1940s who had a baked ptato, corn bread, and mush (fried corn meal pudding). Until after World War II, few schools had cafeterias. Children brought a lunch or came home for lunch. We are not sure when lunch boxes first appeared, but begin to see them in the 1930s. There were plain lunch boxes and soon we see boxes decorated with popular figure from Shirely Temple to Hopalong Cassidy (figure 1). Hoppy was my particular favorite. High school students looked downnon on such childish displays and were more likeky to bring a bag lunch. This gradually declined as more schools added cafeterias and free lunch programs madepossible as school sizes gradually increased.
Note Books
Pencil Cases
Slates
Paper waa relatively expensive until the 20th century. As a result, children especially low-income children did not have access to paper for school use. They used slate boards an chalks to practice writing and do math sums. They were geberally kept at school and not taken back and forth from home. Slates were also used as school blackboards. Often the blackboards were not actual slate, but less expensive wood painted black.
Umbrellas
One item that American boys, unlike British boys did not take to school was umbrellas. The girls might hav them, but not the boys. American mothers had enough sense tomunderdtand, that giving a grade schoolmvoyban umbrella was like sending off to svhool with a leathal weapon. The inevitabke result would have been sword fights to and from school.
