Figure 1.--This American boy was from Philadelphia. He wears a very sharply defined center part with quite a slicked-down hair style. Such center parts became popular in America in the late 1890s and the early 20th century. |
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We have noted a wide variety of hair parts. Normlly boys have one obvious, clearly defined part which would be located on either side of the head or in the center. Left parts have been the most common. Presumably because most people are right handed and did the combing with the left hand. Of course mom did the early combing, but perhaps used dad as the model. Here I am not sure, but will assess this as we collect more information. There may have been chronolgical as well as national differences concerning the side parted. Parts especially if combed by mother could be razor sharp. Often they were more informably combed. The parts are not always clearly visible. Some center parts can not be seen at the front if the boys hair is done in bangs. Parts can also vary depending on how far down the side of the head the part is made. Although less common, there are some styles that incorporate twin parts and some that round the back of the head. There are also soft parts and much more defined sharp parts.
Normlly boys have one obvious, clearly defined part which would be located on either side of the head or in the center. Left parts have been the most common. Presumably because most people are right handed and did the combing with the left hand. Of course mom did the early combing, but perhaps used dad as the model. Here I am not sure, but will assess this as we collect more information. There may have been chronolgical as well as national differences concerning the side parted. Parts especially if combed by mother could be razor sharp. Often thr parts are not so perfectly defined, but still quite sharp.
Often they were more informably combed. The parts are not always clearly visible. Some center parts can not be seen at the front if the boys hair is done in bangs. Parts can also vary depending on how far down the side of the head the part is made. Although less common, there are some styles that incorporate twin parts and some that round the back of the head. There are also soft parts. Soe appear to be boys that have worn their hair in bangs and just recently mother had begun combing a center part. Older boys also had these less well defined center parts. Of course it should remembered that most boys eother had their hair combed or combed it themselves before a photigraphic portrait was taken. Thus in studio portraits, the less defined parts may have been more common than is suggested by the photographic record.
Most parts were horizonal, combed from the front straight back. We note a few examples where the hair is combed from the front diagonally toward the back center of the head. An example here is an American boy about 1890. We are noy entirely sure that this was an actual type of part. It could be just casual combing. Here we are not yet sure.
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