Figure 1.-- This cabinet photograph shows an unidentified American boy wearing a Fauntleroy kilt suit. He looks to be about 5-6 years old, although we are not at all certain. A reader thinks he may be older. His hair is shoulder length, but uncurled. This was unusual in America where most boys with long hair like this wore it done in ringlets. The size and style of the mount as well as the whicker furniture suggest the portarit was taken around the turn -of-the 20th century. The studio was Brannock in Amsterdam, New York. Click on the image to see his entire outfit.

Long hair is an ambiguous hair style and there is a good bit of overlap with other styles. The popularity of long hair jas come anf gone over time as wellm, as the age conventions. What we mean here is styles down to the ears and longer. We note three basic lengths. First there were lengths which covered some are all of the ears. This was very common in the mid-19th century and reappeared after the mid-20th cerntury. Second were lengths from below the ears to the shoulders. These lenhths were less common, but we note many boys with them during the Fauntlertoy era (1885-1905). Here the hair was usually done in ringlet curls. This length was also poular ion the late-20th century (1970s-80s), but not curled. And unlike the earlier appearance of long hair, it was worn by older boys and teenagers. Third was the least common, very long hair grown over thhe shoulders. The boy here is a good example, but this was not very common. While this was a boy's stule, we note it worn by some adult men tio make a flamboyant statement, like calvalry general George Armstrong Custer.

Modest Long Styles

The first length of uncurld hair were lengths which covered some are all of the ears. This was very common in the mid-19th century and reappeared after the mid-20th century Men and boys in the mid-19th century wore their hair longer than earlier and later in the century. Styles down to the ear and covering part of the ear were very common. Many examples are archived on HBC. This longer cut hair was done in many styles. There were different lengths over the ears as well as treatment of the hair. The front was also done differently. A good example is Clarence E. Summer, we tink in the 1840s. Another example is two unidentified American brothers about 1850. There were variations in the style, but covering part of the ear was a common element in these styles. The hair cuts Usually did not cover the entire ear. But commonly the ear can barely be glimpsed. A good example is John Van Horn in 1859. This was not a particularly juvenile style. We see many men with long hair. In fact men in the mid-19th century pgten tended to wear longer hair than boys. This was even more true in the 1870s-80s. After this short hair began to become the standard for both men and boys. We do see younger boys wearing longer cuts over their ears. The over-the-ears styles did nor begin to came back into ppularity until the 1970s.

Moderate Long Styles

The second length of uncurld hair were lengths from below the ears to the shoulders. These lengths were less common, but we note many boys with them during the Fauntlertoy era (1885-1905). The hair had to be grown to some length for ringlets to be formed. Here the hair for American boys was usually done in ringlet curls. Long uncurled hair was much less common in America, but we see more examples in Europe. We would say that more than 80 percent of the boys with long hair in the photgraohic record during the Fauntleroy era had their hair done in ringlets. This leads to several questions. Did this mean thi that their hair was usually done ringlets or did some mothers just do the ringlets for the portrait. As most of the photogaphs were studio portraits at the time, this is difficult to asess. Or by the same token, did the boys with long hair without ringlets some times have ringlets done depebding on mother's schedule or whim. Here we mostly have the photographic record to go on because we have not found any written or publihed material addrssing these issues. On would think that a formal studio i one of th circumstances for whchnmothr would most likely do the ringlets. This length was also popular in the late-20th century (1970s-80s), motivated in part by rock bands. but not curled. And unlike the earlier appearance of long hair, it was worn by older boys and teenagers.

Very Long Hair

The third length of uncurld hair were the least common, very long hair grown over the shoulders. The boy on the previous page is a good example. These very long styles were less common, esoecially ahior as long as th boy here. While this was a boy's style, we note it worn by some adult men tio make a flamboyant statement, like calvalry general George Armstrong Custer. These long hair styles during the Fauntelroy era were commonly curled in America, this was less common in Europe. Here we are talking about long un-curled hair. In America unlike Europe, ringlets were very common for boys, more common than uncurled long hair. We still see boys with long hair not done in ringlets. A good example is Roy Swanson. It was not a very common style, but we do see occassional 19th century studio portraits. This was less common in the 20th century except for a brief period in the late-20th century, especially the 1970s. With long hasir styles, the forehead front and the crown was done in avariety of ways. These long hair cuts were realtively rare in the 19th century based on the the prevalence in the photographic record. We are not sure why boys wore such long hair. Presumably it was because mothers like long hair. I don't think we can say fashion was involved because such long hasir for boys was never fashionable. Perhaps there was religious elements involved. We see girls with long hair in the 19th century, but this is much more common. Length could vary. We see 19th cntury images with the hair well below the shoulders. The long hair popular in the 20th century was often worn at shoulder lengths, but less commonly over the shoulders. .

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Created: 4:49 AM 9/1/2013
Last edited: 4:00 PM 12/1/2013