U.S. School Clothes: Pear Tree School (about 1910)


Figure 1.--This is a tough one. Looking at it, our first inclination was that the card is English. The boys look British to us. American schools would have a more varied look. And it seems to me the boys are dressed more like British boys. The suits look English to me, but we are not entirely sure about that. We do not often have such nice clear early school images. The portrait looks to us like it was taken in the 1900s or early-1910s. We know it was not the 1890s because it was a divided back postcard. Britain pioneered this (1902) and the United States followed (1907). British postcards commonly feature the term 'Inland Mail' and this one does not have this term. This is why we think that the card may be American. Perhaps some postcard experts can help us here. Note that with the name board, there is the term 'CS5'. We suspect this may be the grade level, but we are not sure what the CS means. We will archive it hear under America, but move it to England if we learn that it is English. Put your cursor on the image to see the rest of the class. Click here on the image to see the back of the card.

This is a tough one. Looking at it, our first inclination was that the card is English. The boys look British to us. American schools would have a more varied look. And it seems to me the boys are dressed more like British boys. The suits look English to me, but we are not entirely sure about that. We do not often have such nice clear early school images. There are a lot of Eton collars, but American boys look wore Eton collars as well. It is an all boys class. Most American schools were coed, but single gender primary classes were common in Britain before World War I. There is nothing destinctive about the class room, except the tiling, but we are not sure if that has any country connotations. The portrait looks to us like it was taken in the 1900s or early-1910s. We know it was not the 1890s because it was a divided back postcard. Britain pioneered this (1902) and the United States followed (1907). British postcards commonly feature the term 'Inland Mail' and this one does not have this term. This is why we think that the card may be American. Perhaps some postcard experts can help us here. Note that with the name board, there is the term 'CS. 5'. The 5 probably means grade 5 or the fifth year od orimary school. The boys look to be about 10-11 years old. We suspect this may be the grade level, but we are not sure what the CS means. We will archive it hear under America, but move ino England if we learn it is English.

Nationality

This is a tough one. Looking at it, our first inclination was that the card is English. The boys look British to us. American schools would have a more varied look. And it seems to me the boys are dressed more like British boys. A British teacher reader writes, "The picture is most likely British. The map (cropped out of the image displayed here.)seems to be showing a country of the Empire. Also handwriting on slate seems to be the style taught in Britain at the time. Wish all my little ones could write as good as that! Seems a class from a wealthy back ground. All well groomed. I'd say the back is British too. Seems to be the standard type of print used on postcards. The 'CS. 5' will mean Class 5 and would be the final class. The boys might go into employment but as this seems to be boys from a wealthy back ground they would go to secondary school. Many school in the UK had walls tiled as in the picture too." We have tried to being out some detail in the wall map. It does not look like America, although most od the detil is lost. It looks European if we were pushed to guess.

Clothing

The suits look English to me, but we are not entirely sure about that. We do not often have such nice clear early school images. There are a lot of Eton collars, but American boys look wore Eton collars as well.

Gender

It is an all boys class. Most American schools were coed, but single gender primary classes were common in Britain before World War I.

Classroom

There is nothing destinctive about the class room, except the tiling, but we are not sure if that has any country connotations.

Chronology

The portrait looks to us like it was taken in the 1900s or early-1910s. We know it was not the 1890s because it was a divided back postcard. Britain pioneered this (1902) and the United States followed (1907). British postcards commonly feature the term 'Inland Mail' and this one does not have this term. This is why we think that the card may be American. Perhaps some postcard experts can help us here.

CS. 5

Note that with the name board, there is the term 'CS. 5'. The 5 probably means grade 5 or the fifth year od orimary school.

Age

The boys look to be about 10-11 years old. We suspect this may be the grade level, but we are not sure what the CS means. We will archive it here under America, but move it to England if we learn that it is English.

Education

British Schools

A British reader beiefs us on British education at the tgime and whst the mext step was for these boys. "Boys of this age could have gone on to secondary school if theyacademically clever and their parents could afford it. If they passed the grammar school exam they could have gone there if the parents could afford the fee. Some children aged 12 0r 13 would have left school for work. However it was at the headmasters discretion to release boys at age 11 for employment. This was wide spread. The boys in this class it it was a state school it would have been a board school I think children had to bring 2p a week. If it was a church school then it was mostly funded by the church and the state orovided some assistance in the schools running costs. Children from professional back grounds would have gone to fee paying prep schools and public (privare boarding) schools. The school where these children lived was not in the poorest parts of the town. Destitute children would most likely have gone to a ragged school. These schools continued to be known as ragged school long inttp late-20th century by which time they had become ordinary state primary schools."






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Created: 7:25 AM 3/4/2013
Last updated: 7:26 AM 3/4/2013