Figure 1.--The boys at Donns Ferry High School in 1920 wore suits and ties, the younger ones mostly with knickers. There is no way of telling, but we believe that the knickers were primarily worn with long stockings. Unusually for high school, one boy wears above the knee knickers with knee socks. We see younger boys dressed like that, but not highschool boys. The same boy has an open collar shirt. The girls wore blouses, we see several white middy blouses, and long dresses and skirts. One girl wears a sailor dress. The skirts are now well above the ankles. This can best be seen in the uncropped portrait which has quality problems and we have not loaded it. We do not see any hairbows which were popular at the time. We are guessing that might have been a rule for the portrait so as not to obscure faces behind. Put your cursors on the image to see the rest of the students.

Dobbs Ferry Dobbs Ferry is a village in Westchester County, New York, alomg the Hudson River. It is just north of New York City and became an affluent bedroom suburb for the city. It is part of the town of Greenburgh. We note a school portrait at Dobbs Ferry High School in 1920. We have not been able to find any historical information on the chool, but the school was clearly built some time before, probably in the late-19th century. There were about 70 students. At the time we think the 9th graders were still in junior high schools. So it could have been just 10-12th graders, approximtedly 15-17 year olds. There are about 70 students. Some of the childre have been cropped out at the sides. Small high schools like this were very common at the time in towns. City schools were larger. Even so, most children did not yet continue their education into seconary school. This was especially true of working-class children. This was changing and America had a higher school attendance the than Europe. The boys wore suits and ties, the younger ones mostly with knickers. There is no way of telling, but we believe that the knickrs were mostly orn with long stockings. Unusually for high school, one boy wears above the knee knickers with knee socks. We see younger boys dressed like that, but not highschool boys. The same boy has an open collar shirt. The girls wore blouses, we see several white middy blouses, and long dresses and skirts. One girl wears a sailor dress. The skirts are now well above the ankles. This can best be seen in the uncropped portrait which has quality problems and we have not loaded it. We do not see any hairbows which were popular at the time. We are guessing that might have been a rule for the portrait so as not to oscure faces behind.

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Created: 12:29 AM 7/14/2016
Last updated: 12:29 AM 7/14/2016