*** boys hair styles -- Ameican country trends United States U.S. 19th century 1850s








American 19th Century Boys' Hair Styles Chronology: The 1850s

boys 1850s hair styles

Figure 1.--This 1/6 plate Ambrotype shows two brothers in identical collar-buttoning jackets. They have fewer buttons than we usually see. Note the different collars. They do not look like they have been to the barber, but mother has varefully combed their hair. The boys have identical hair cuts covering half their ears. This seems very common in the 1850s. Some boys had their hair covering their ears, but this kind of half length seems much more common. The portrait was probably taken in the late 1850s. Notice the gilded buttons, probably meant to suggest brass buttons.

We know a good deal about popular hair styles in the 1890s, largely thanks to the expanding photographic industry. Photographic portraits become even more common in the 1850s. New processes appeared, including ambrotypes and tintypes. Dags are difficult to date, but Ambros are either from the mid- or late-1850s or very early-60s. We note a lot of examples of American boys with hair cuts of varying length during the 1850s. Many boys wore their hair down to or over their ears, as did adult men at the time. Short hair does not seem very common. Some of the cuts look rather modern. Looking at the hair cuts one gets the impression that many boys did not go to the barber very often. Of course mother probably cut their hair in many cases, but we note several boys with not very well groomed hair. We do not see the famous bowl cut, perhaps this was more commoin in rural areas. We suspect that most portraits in the 1850s were city boys. This becomes less common in the 1860s, perhaps asign of rising prosperity. We note a range of different lengths, but we rarely see really long hair. The Wallis brothers, for example, in 1852 all had their hair cut off their ears. We also see plenty of images of boys with longer styles. A good example is unidentified Danbury boy in 1855. Another good example is an unidentified boy, we think in the early-1850s. We note an unidntified boy, probably in the late-1850s. We notice John Van Horn who has his ears almost completely covered in 1859.

Photographic Evidence

We know a good deal about popular hair styles in the 1890s, largely thanks to the expanding photographic industry. Photographic portraits become even more common in the 1850s. New processes appeared, including ambrotypes and tintypes. Dags are difficult to date at least differentiating between the 1840s and 50s. Ambros on the other hand are mostly either from the mid- or late-1850s or very early-60s. We see some from the early-60s, but the CDV very rapidly became the dominant format in the early-60s.

Length

We note a lot of examples of American boys with hair cuts of varying length during the 1850s. Many boys wore their hair down to or over their ears, as did adult men at the time. The expanding photographic record provides detailed information. We see many images of boys with longish hair styles. A lot of boys had hair cut to about mid-ear oreven longer. Another good example is an unidentified boy, we think in the early-1850s. We note an unidentified boy, probably in the late-1850s. We notice John Van Horn who has his ears almost completely covered in 1859. We are not entirely sure about lengths in the early-19th century. Except for the long curls worn by younger boys with doting mothers, this was as long as hair got in the 19th century. Unlike the long hair for little boys, the long lenghs down to the ears did not have a social class component. We see both working-class and moderate boys from moderate income families as well s boys from well-to-do families with these hair cuts. Fir the ret of the century, the lengths of boys' hair declined. nd there was no age component. Adult men wore their hair at the same length. This changes in the 1860s. The cuts varied in he length of the gair at the side and how much of the ear was covered, but thebasic style was widely worn.

Parts

Our assesstment based on a increasing number of imafes is that bangs which obsure hair oart were not very common in the 1850s. Most boys has plainly parted hair after their curls were cut as younger boys. There does not seem to be any strong part conventions except the center parts were almost eclusively for girls ncause many had lon hair and a center poart is useful in stylinging long hair. There re sone decaded in whiuch we see boys with center parts, but usually as in the 1850s, side parts were standadrd. We notice both right and left parts, well away from the crown. The side was probably more are less decided by mother so boys in the same family usully all had hair parted on the same side. Here the boys both have left parts (figure 1). A good example is of a right part is an unidentified Danbury boy in 1855. Our assessment is that left parts werevthe most common. This is probably because most boys are right handed and for them a right part is more difficult to combn than a left part. And of course visa-versa for left-handed boys. This may be a little different for younger boys as mothers were combing their hair.

Barber Shops

Looking at the children's hair cuts one gets the impression that many boys did not go to the barber very often if at all. The barber shop was a mail domaine. This girls did not go at all. And we think boys rararely went, although we can not find sources addressing this subject. .We believe that mother probably cut their hair in many cases, alythouhh in better off families, sevants probanly did this. Many focused on wig-making in the 18th century. This largely disappeared as a result of the French Revolution and by the early-19th century we non longer see much wig making. There was a lot going on at barber shops in the 19th century. Barbershops were notv entirely concrned with hair cutting. There was medical activities at play, especially blood letting. This had disappeared by mid-century as the modern medical practice began to develop. It is at this time that the modern barber shop began to take shape. As far as we can tell, they primarily serviced adult men and older teenagers. Boys still commonly had their hair cut at home. This was probably both an economic matter as well as established conventions. One was women did not often come into barbershops which were a male presrve and boys until their teens were mostly cared for by women.

Styling

Some of the 1850s cuts look rather modern. We do not see many examples of the famous bowl cut, perhaps this was more common in rural areas where boys were less likely to have their portraits taken. We suspect that most portraits in the 1850s were of city boys. We do not note many children with elaborate hair styles, especially the boys. As far as we can tell that after a younger boy's curls were cut, the hair was simply parted and combed in a straight forward manner. Short hair does not seem very common. We note a range of different lengths, but we rarely see really long hair. The Wallis brothers, for example, in 1852 all had their hair cut off their ears. It is combed in a little more stylish fashion than many boys we see at the time. Children's hair styles were largely influenced by adult styles, mothers for the girls and fathers for the boys. An exception here were younger boys who might have curls like the girls. Women's hairstyles was commonly shorter styles well above the shoulders with a bun at the back during both the 1840s and 50s. The major difference in these mid-century styles was wher the bun was placed. To create the bun parted in the center which is waht you see in photographic record as the subject is facing forward. But as tou appraoch the rear of the head, the part sepatates into a 'Y' shape to help form the bun. None of the later appears in most portaits. As far as we can tell, the bun was primarily a style for older teenagers and especially adult women. From the front the styles for women and girls look similar which is what we see in the photographis record. Length was a issue. Women's styles usually covered the ears. Girl's styles commonly covered only part of the ear. A good example is an unidentified girl in 1857. As far as we can tell that after a younger boy's curls were cut, the hair was simply parted and combed in a straight manner down grom the part. Short hair above the ears does not seem very common. We note a range of different lengths, but we rarely see really long hair below the ears. Here the boys have their ears mostly covered. Other boys had their hair cut above the ears.

Hair Grooming

We note several boys with what we might describe as not very well groomed hair. This becomes less common in the 1860s, perhaps asign of rising prosperity. And we suspect that more boys began going to the barber.







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Created: 8:05 AM 9/4/2011
Last edited: 10:22 PM 7/28/2022