Figure 1.-- The dealer selling this portrait thinks that the children exchanged clothes as a lark. That may well be, but there was no way to tell. We are left without knowing whose idea it was or if the children particularly enjoyed the little joy.

Here we have another unidentified cabinet card. The children look to be about 8-10 years old. We assume they are children, although we are not at all sure. The child on the right wearing a dress is almost certainly a boy. We are not at all sure about the child in ringlets wearing a knee pants suit on the left. The child may be a girl. If so this portrait involved the children changing clothes. Girls did not wear pants in the 1880s. Boys of course did wear dresses, but usually boy's younger than the one here. A we see majhy boys wearing ringlets, but again usually younger than the child here. The dealer selling this portrait thinks that the children exchanged clothes as a lark. That may well be, but there was no way to tell. We are left without knpwing whose idea it was or if the children particularly enjoyed the little joy. The portrait is also undated, but we would guess it was taken in the 1880s. The portrait was taken at the Hull & Sons studio in Battle Creek, Michigan. A reader writes, "To me they could both be boys. I think they are about 9 or 10 each. What do you think? Too bad we don't have more information." Yes, would't be nice to go back in time and interview the mother. But all we have to go on is an unidentified cabinet card. If we were forced to guess, all factors considered, we would say that the child on the left is a girl. However we say that without any certainty. The child definitely could be a boy.

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Created: 5:55 AM 8/11/2010
Last edited: 10:46 PM 8/11/2010