Figure 1.--Here we see a cabinet card portrait showing three children with three different hair styles. The boys' hair is very short. We can see here one of the girls with short hair although not as short as the boy's hair. The portrait is undated, but the mount style dates it to about 1890-95. The studio was Gaylords, a traveling photographer.

Gender trends like hair styles have varied over time. This is a subject not well covered in period texts. There is considerable discussion of women's hair styles, but less about mens' hair styles and relatively little about children. Paintings provide some information. Nutbtge number of paintings is very small in comparison to the photograpic record. This is true even for the early formats like Dags and Ambros (1840s=50s). It was a matter of economkics. Painting a portarit takes days, even months for a master work. Taking a photograph after a brief posing period, is dome in a few seconds. (Early emulsions required am extended explosure-nut bstill in seconds). Reducing the cost of a portatit , significantly increased demand. The photographic record is this muc more extensive and more complete and as a result provides a much broader coverage of the social structure. This means that the photographic record provides a wonderful record of these changing styles, not only clothing, but also hair styles. Because photography was invented as we approach mid-century (1839). Thus the record only begins at mid-century. At times boys wore destinctive short cuts and girls long styled hair. This is the basic gender trend, but we see images of boys with long hair and girls with short hair. Center cuts were also a major style for girls. And we see boys with center parts, although durung brief periods mostly in the early-20th century. There have been times when shorter cuts were stylish for girls and long hair for boys. These swings in popularity have not all occurred at the same time. And as far as we can tell, boys and girls styles seem to fluctuate indepedently of each other. We see a lot of boys with hair to or even covering their ears (mid-19th century). Girls hair styles were more varied than boys and tended to be more elaborate, but some of the most elaborate children hair stles were worn by boys durung the Fauntleroy craze (late-19th century). Boys hair became standard in the (20th century). Most boys had various short hair cuts. Close cropped hair was never as popular as in Europoe, but we do see various ectremely short syles after World War II, especially (1950s-early-60s). In sharp contrast we see long hair becoming popular (1970s). This was followed by a period in which there was considerable variety of styles worn. Girls in the 20th century generally had longer styles. Short bobbed hair became popular for girls (1920s). Shirley Temple vitrually singled handedly launched a ringlet curl craze--this time exclusively for girls (1930s). We do not see any major shift for boys and when boys short hair styles became popular after World War II, we do not see any major shift for girls hair styles. The same is true in the 1970s when many boys wore long hair.

Poorly covered Topic

Gender trends like hair styles have varied over time. This is a subject not well covered in period texts. There is considerable discussion of women's hair styles, but less about mens' hair styles and relatively little about children, both boys and girls.

Photographic Record

Paintings provide some information. Nutbtge number of paintings is very small in comparison to the photograpic record. This is true even for the early formats like Dags and Ambros (1840s=50s). It was a matter of economkics. Painting a portarit takes days, even months for a master work. Taking a photograph after a brief posing period, is done in a few seconds. (Early emulsions required am extended explosure-but still in seconds). Eventially it would be a snap of a shutter. This of cource sharply reduced the cost of a portatit , significantly increased demand. The photographic record is this muc more extensive and more complete and as a result provides a much broader coverage of the social structure. This means that the photographic record provides a wonderful record of these changing styles, not only clothing, but also hair styles. Photography was invented as we approach mid-century (1839). Thus the photographic record only begins at mid-century.

Major Trend

At times boys wore destinctive short cuts and girls long styled hair. This is the basic gender trend, but we see images of boys with long hair and girls with short hair. Center cuts were also a major style for girls. And we see boys with center parts, although durung brief periods mostly in the early-20th century. There have been times when shorter cuts were stylish for girls and long hair for boys.

Independent Trends

These swings in popularity have not all occurred at the same time. And as far as we can tell, boys and girls styles seem to fluctuate indepedently of each other. We see a lot of boys with hair to or even covering their ears (mid-19th century).

Century Trends

The general tremd over time was that girls hair styles were more varied than boys and tended to be more elaborate. Men in the 18th century wore wigs, at least men of means. Boys amd young men except for thralthy might wears queues (pony tails). Women are pictures with sone pf the maost wlaborate hairvstyoes in gitory, but these were wealthy aristocrats in royal courts. This was not hair styles worn by very many people. And not styles we see in America. We know much more about the 19th century. And something very omprtant. American men did wear wigs, but women did nor wear the elaborate court styles. Thus can be condusing. Actaully Americans by al standadrs were better ofv than Europeans, but wse so not see the siper-wealthy like we see in Europe. Sometjing very imprtant was happening- the industrail revolyion, This was creating walth like neveer befpre and wealth where a wide cross section of society was sharing. American prosperity did not manifest itself in dashion until mid-century when the industrail recolution licked in. We see that both in clothing and hair styling. Many photogrraphs of boys in the 19th century show individuals without carefully done hair styles. Boys wore hair down to theor weas or even covering tgheiev ears. Well conved hair is much more common in the CDVs that appeared in large numbers (1860s). And we see shorter cuts. That is until the Fauntleroy Craze kicked in (1885). Some of the most elaborate children hair stles were worn by boys during the Fauntleroy craze (late-19th century). Boys hair became standard in the (20th century). Most boys had variious short hair cuts. Close cropped hair was never as popular as in Europoe, but we do see various extremely short syles after World War II, especially (1950s-early-60s). In sharp contrast we see long hair becoming popular (1970s). This was followed by a period in which there was considerable variety of styles worn. Girls in the 20th century generally had longer styles. Short bobbed hair became popular for girls (1920s). Shirley Temple vitrually singled handedly launched a ringlet curl crazr--this time exclusively for girls (1930s). We do not see any major shift for boys and when boys short hair styles became popular after World War II, we do not see any major shift for girls hair styles. The same is true in the 1970s when many boys wore long hair.

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Created: 11:51 PM 10/13/2012
Last edited: 6:06 PM 12/3/2019