Figure 1.--Here is a good example of a mid-19th century belted American tunic. Notice the plaid-like material, presumably chosen to ghive a kilted kook. This was a cased tin type portrait, probably taken in the late-1850s, perhaps the very early60s. It is a good example of the short tunics commonly worn at the time. Also notivce the modern-looking hair cut. Note wgat look like books on the table. These may be photograph albums, but we are not sure about thev typo of albums,

We see tunics in borh the 19th century and the early-20th century. And they included short tunics, although the chronological diatribition is unclear. Short tunics extended just a little below the waist to well above the knee. Most American tunics at mid-century were relatively short, just a little below the waist. Many of the tunics we begin to see at mid-century were just a little below the waist looking like like blouses (without shirt tails) that were not tucked in at the waist. We see many such tunics in the early photographic types like Dags and Ambros usually done as cased portarits (1840s-50s). We also see tin-types, but unlike the Dags and Ambros, we contuinue to see the tun-types for severl deadades. Thus helps to date these images. It is a little difficult to assess length becaue so many of the subjects were posed sitting down. This is largely a result of the long exposure times required. We have found a few early images where the boys are standing which gives us a good idea about length in this early period. These standing portraits also show that these were tunics and not just blouses. The buttoning is commonly all above the waist which can only easily observed when the boy is standing. With the appearance of the CDV (1860s), we see more diverse poses and it is no longer unusual to see standing poses. The albumen emulsion was faster than that used for Dags and Ambros, but still slower than modern emusions, so stands are used to help standing subjects hold still for the shoot. We see fewer tnics after the 1870s, but tunics had a brief period of popularity in the early-20th century (1900s-10s). We are not sure how to attribute this sudden popularity. It seems to have been a European influence. This included short tunics. We think they were mostly seen in the 1910s, but this is something we are still working on as we expand our archive.

The 19th Century

We see tunics in borh the 19th century and the early-20th century. And they included short tunics, although the chronological diatribition is unclear. Short tunics extended just a little below the waist to well above the knee. Most American tunics at mid-century were relatively short, just a little below the waist. Many of the tunics we begin to see at mid-century were just a little below the waist looking like like blouses (without shirt tails) that were not tucked in at the waist. We see many such tunics in the early photographic types like Dags and Ambros usually done as cased portarits (1840s-50s). We also see tin-types, but unlike the Dags and Ambros, we contuinue to see the tun-types for severl deadades. Thus helps to date these images. It is a little difficult to assess length becaue so many of the subjects were posed sitting down. This is largely a result of the long exposure times required. We have found a few early images where the boys are standing which gives us a good idea about length in this early period. These standing portraits also show that these were tunics and not just blouses. The buttoning is commonly all above the waist which can only easily observed when the boy is standing. With the appearance of the CDV (1860s), we see more diverse poses and it is no longer unusual to see standing poses. The albumen emulsion was faster than that used for Dags and Ambros, but still slower than modern emusions, so stands are used to help standing subjects hold still for the shoot. We see fewer tunics after the 1870s.

The 20th Century

There was a brief period of popularity of tunics in the early-20th century (1900s-10s). We are not sure how to attribute this sudden popularity. We do not think it was a reviavalm of the 19th cebntyury tynics. It may have been related to Russian peasant dress. Ot it could be realated to the declining popularity of the convention for younger boys to wear dresses and skirts. Here we are still mistified. The sudden popularity iof tunics seems to have been a European influence. This included short tunics. We think they were mostly seen in the 1910s, but this is something we are still working on as we expand our archive. Our ininitualassessmebnt is that the shirt tunics were most popular in thec 1910s, but this needs to be cionfirmed. Here we are assisted by an increase in the number of images as a result of the Kodak Brownie which brought the snapshot into the major form of photographic images. Many early snapshots were done with postcard backs.

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Created: 9:08 PM 5/19/2021
Last edited: 4:01 AM 12/18/2023