Figure 1.-- Here we see two nunidentified brothers. All we know for sure is that the portrait was taken in 1908. Nitice the full bowl cuts, all the way arond the head, although the bangs in front look a bit shorter. Noice how the hair in back is shaved. The boys look to be about 2-5 byears old. The younger boy wears a romper suit. His brother seenms to be wearing a one-piece play suit. .

The bowl cut was seen in the late-19th century as kind of home approach to cutting hair, primarily children hair. This was for children living too far from town to go to the barber or whose parents could not aford to send their kids to the barber, at least in the 1900s decade. We are not entirely sure about the extent to which boys were sent to the barber in the 19th century. The barbershop in the v19th century developed a reputation as a male have and often a somewhat seedy place where mothers did not want to send their younger children. Or accomapny them which is now a standard practice. It was not seen as a proper place for women. This meant that it was left to mother to cut the hair of younger boys. Another important factor to consider is that America was primarily a rural country in the 19th century and even in the early-20th century more than half the population lived in rural areas. Thus there was not easy access to a barber even if the parents could afford it. Thus the bowl cut a style for rural families and low income families. Based on the photographic record, we see it more as a rural approach. We see boys in the early 20th century with bowl cuts, but the way they are dressed, they clearly do not come from poor families. This appearch to be a style with a very limited chronological prevalence. We have found a few notable exaples in the 1900s decade. The bowl cut seems to have been a fashionable style, both the full bowl cut and the partial front bangs cut. We also note fashionable boys with bowl cuts in the 1980s. Some were done with a kind of layering.

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Created: 3:44 AM 9/4/20203
Last edited: 3:45 AM 9/4/2020