Figure 1.--This cabinet card portrait shows an unidentified American boy with long ringlet curls. He wears a blouse and long skirt. Te skirt had wide pleats. The boy is looking into a mirror to have his picture taken. Note the curls are all at the back. The portrait was taken by Kurz & Nuss in Green Bay, Wisconsin, probably in the 1880s.

The fall of the ringlets varies depenfing on how the hair is combed. Back curls may reflect the fact that the hair has been cut at the side and allowed to grow in the back. We are not sure why a mother would chose this style because the ringlets could only be seen to good effect from the back. The hair would be cut sometimes quite short at the side and allowed to grow out at the back. Notice all the ringlets here are done behind the ears (figure 1). The hair would also have to be combed a little differently than styles with side curls which normally had center parts.

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Italain glossary] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]

Created: 4:12 AM 3/15/2008
Last edited: 4:12 AM 3/15/2008