Figure 1.--This CDV portait shows an unidentified London boy with longish hair over his wears. We thought it might be from the 1860s. The dealer thought it was a 1870s copy of an earlier ambrotype or daguerreotype from the 1850s / early 1860s. America DAGs commonly had a tanle cobered with a ciolorful table. We are less sure about English Dags. The CDV studion was the London Photographic Company.

We have just begun to assess English 19th century hair styles. We note medium-length hair in the early-19th century, however, our information is very limited at this time. Abnd we are not entirely sure about the early-19th century. We note the Bond family in 1848. The Bond boys all have short hair, but with parts well away from the side. Their sister has a center part and mother has ringlet curls. Father has side burns. Thanks to photography we know much more about mid-century hair styles, especially with the appearance of CDVs (1860s). We note somewhat longer styles at mid-century. It was quite common go have hair down to the ears or even over the ears. Younger boys might have longer styles, even riglet curls. We suspect social-class factors were involved here. Some boys, especially from affluent families, had long hair until beginning school at about about age 6 years. Sone school-age boys had longer hair if educated at home, but their hair was cut if not sooner when boys went off the boarding school at about age 8 years. School styles seem basically the same as the popular styles at the time. We do not notice schools insisting on especially short hair. We note both curled and uncurled styles. This was not as common as in America, but more common than on the contient where ringlets began to be called 'English curls'. After the 1860s, hair styles gradually became shorter, especially by the 1880s. We see mostly short hair by the 1890s, although we continue to see younger boys from well-to-do families waring long hair, including ringlet curls.

The 1800s

We have just begun to assess English 19th century hair styles. We note medium-length hair in the early-19th century, however, our information is very limited at this time. Abnd we are not entirely sure about the early-19th century. WEithout the bnefit of photograohy, thevnumber of images is very limited.

The 1840s

We note the Bond family in 1848. The Bond boys all have short hair, but with parts well away from the side. Their sister has a center part and mother has ringlet curls. Father has side burns.

The 1850s

Here we see a portrait which may be from the 1850s. We are notb sure about that, but it is claraly fron mid-century (figure 1). The boy has a hair cut that covers most of his ears.

The 1860s

Thanks to photography we know much more about mid-century hair styles, especially with the appearance of the labumen proces, beginning with the CDV (1860s). We note somewhat longer styles at mid-century. It was quite common go have hair down to the ears or even over the ears. Younger boys might have longer styles, even riglet curls. We suspect social-class factors were involved here. Some boys, especially from affluent families, had long hair until beginning school at about about age 6 years. Sone school-age boys had longer hair if educated at home, but their hair was cut if not sooner when boys went off the boarding school at about age 8 years. School styles seem basically the same as the popular styles at the time. We do not notice schools insisting on especially short hair. We note both curled and uncurled styles. This was not as common as in America, but more common than on the contient where ringlets began to be called 'English curls'.

The 1870s

After the 1860s, hair styles gradually became shorter. We see a mix of hair stles in the 1870s. WE still see many boys woyjh hair touching arecovering parts bof their ears. Shorter cuts, howevr were becoming increasingly common. A good example is a fashionable London boy, Osborn Richards in 1876.

The 1880s

We see mostly short hair cuts ny the by the 1880s. The exception was younger boys, often wearing fauntleroy styled outfits.

The 1890s

We see mostly short hair by the 1890s, although we continue to see younger boys from well-to-do families waring long hair, including ringlet curls.

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Created: 6:04 PM 7/27/2013
Last edited: 2:48 AM 3/31/2022