Figure 1.--Here we see an unidentified Maryland school in 1900. About half the girls are wearing hair bows. Also notice that they are relatively small twin bows and mostly tied at the side rather than the top of the head. We do not yet see the huge hair bows that were so common in the 1910s.

We know that hair bows were very popular for American girls in the early-20th century. We have a very extensive American archive and the prevalence of hair bows for girls stands out in the photographic record. We are still working on the chronology. They seemed most prevalent in the 1900s-20s, especually the 1910s. There are countless images of girls wearing hair bows, especially around the turn-of-the 20th century. The girls in the Maryland class here are a good example (figure 1). They continued to be popular during throughout the early-20th century. We have little information about the early-19th century, but with the advent of photography we have information beginning in the mid-19th century and that informtion only increases each decade with the expansion of the photographic industry. What we are not entirely sure about is if the studio portraits are a good reflection of actual prevalence. We are not sure if girls were more or less like to wear hair bows when they went to a photographic studio. A good example of a studio portrait is the Keck girls, we think in the 1910s. Girls of all ages, including teenagers, wore them. American girls continued to be worn after World War I in the 1920s, but by mostly younger girls. The hair bows could be enormous. The girls on the previous page are a good example. Both girls and teenagers wore them. White was very popular, but we see colors as well. A good indicator of actual prevalence is school photography which by the late-19th centuey was a well established tradition. Hair bows for American girls seem especially popular and particularly large in the early-20th century. The peak of popularity and size was the 1910s. Most girls hair bows were white, but we also notice some colored ones, both light and dark colors. Unfortunately because of the black-and white photography of the day, we do not have any idea about the popular colors.

Popularity

We know that there were very popular for American girls in the early-20th century. We have a very extensive American archive and the prevalence of hair bows for girls stands out in the photographic record. It took a bit of bother to do these bows so we suspect that they were popular with the girls. We think the girls like the idea of wearing these boys.

Chronology

We are still working on the chronology of American hair bows. They seemed most prevalent in the 1900s-20s, especually the 1910s. There are countless images of girls wearing hair bows, especially around the turn-of-the 20th century. The girls in the Maryland class here are a good example (figure 1). Many of the girls have hair bows, but notice that they are mostly rather than small bows. They continued to be popular during throughout the early-20th century. We have little information about the early-19th century, but with the advent of photography we have increasingly detailed information as the photographic record expands. information beginning in the mid-19th century and that informtion only increases each decade with the expansion of the photographic industry. Hair bows for American girls seem especially popular and particularly large in the early-20th century. The peak of popularity and size was the 1910s. Hairbows have never disappeared, but as far as we can tell, the 1910s was the peak of popularity in both size and prevalence.

Prevalence

We were not entirely sure about the degree to which studio portraits are a good reflection of actual prevalence. We are not sure if girls were more or less like to wear hair bows when they went to a photographic studio. A good example of a studio portrait is the Keck girls, we think in the 1910s. An undeniable indicator of actual prevalence is school photography which by the late-19th centuey was a well established tradition. And the prevalaence in schhol portraits seems to match that of studio photograpgy. We are not yet sure about the family snapshot whuch appear in astounding numbers with the Kodak Brownie and the turn-of-the 20th century.

Ages

Girls of all ages, including teenagers, wore them. American girls continued to be worn after World War I in the 1920s, but by mostly younger girls.

Sizes

Hir nows were done in aide range of sizes. The hair bows could be enormous. Others were small. And there is every size in between. The girls on the previous page are a good example. Both girls and teenagers wore them. White was very popular, but we see colors as

Colors

Most American girls wore hair bows were white, but we also notice some colored ones as well, both light and dark colors. What we do not see very often is patterned bows. The great bulk of the bows were solid colors. And we know that pattened bows existed. Many of the floppy bows boys wore in the late-19th century were patterned or multi-colored bows. Also interestingly in the era before TV and with the movies just bginning, there does not seem to be any national pattern. In fact often in the photogrphs we have found, especially the school portraits, it was common for one color or one size, or one positoming to be very common. We do not know how to explin this. Perhaps the girls were influenced by what the other girls were wearing. But we are not at all sure. Unfortunately because of the black-and white photography of the day, we do not have any idea about the popular colors. Nor are we sure what color the bows ht look like blck were. They could be red are dark shades of blue, brown, or green. It is generally possible to detect white, but other colrs are virtually impossible to identify. This os further complicated by the gck that differnt film emulsions react differently to colors. That is why U.S. flags often look strange in turn-of the 20th century photographs,

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Created: 5:29 AM 7/15/2017
Last updated: 6:30 PM 3/1/2019