Figure 1.-- This CDV shows an unidentified English boy who looks to ne about 8 years old. He wears a sailor suit without a V-front but with a back flap and stripe detailing using two stripes. Mother has added a scaloped white collar. Notice it is larger than what we commonly see in the 1860s which is ome reason we think this is a 1870s portrait. It is a knee pants suit. Notice his wonderful pull horse. All we know for sure is that the studio was F.Braess & W.C. Buchanan at Northlight House in Colchester.

This CDV portrait shows an unidentified English boy who looks to be about 8 years old. He wears a sailor suit without a V-front but with a back flap and stripe detailing using two stripes We see the two stripe detailing on both the blouse and pants. We are not ure what color the suit is, but it is clearly not white or navy blue. Mother has added a scaloped white collar. Notice it is larger than what we commonly see in the 1860s which is one reason we think this is a 1870s portrait. It is a knee pants suit. He also wears ribbed long stockings and low-cut shoes. Notice his wonderful pull horse. All we know for sure about the portrait is that the studio was F.Braess & W.C. Buchanan at Northlight House in Colchester. Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, a county in East Anglia--central eastern England.

Individual

This CDV portrait shows an unidentified English boy who looks to be about 8 years old. His smart sailor suit suggests tht he cane from aell-to-do family. It is likely thathe will oon b headed to one of the new preparatory schools.Unfortunately we know nothing more about him other than war he lived.

Chronology

The portrait is undated, but the clothing and studio setting is consistent with the 1870s, we suspect the early-70s. We are less confident with our Amerucan than Enflish date estimates. The late-60s is also possible, byt the early-70s seems more likey. Perhaps our reders will have some insights to add.

Location

All we know for sure about the portrait is that the studio was F.Braess & W.C. Buchanan at Northlight House in Colchester. Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, a county in East Anglia--central eastern England.

Clothing

Collar

Mother has added a scaloped white collar. Notice it is larger than what we commonly see in the 1860s which is one reason we think this is a 1870s portrait.

Neckwear

The boy's neckwear looks like astreached out stock, beginning to take the shape of a boy, but without tails. This is also consistent with the 1870s.

Sailor suit

The boy here wears a sailor suit without a V-front but with a back flap and stripe detailing using two stripes We see the two stripe detailing on both the blouse and pants. We are not ure what color the suit is, but it is clearly not white or navy blue. It is a knee pants suit.

Long stockings

A reader focusing on the hosiery writes, "One of the interesting features of this photo is the heavy woolen ribbed long stockings held in place by wide elastic round garters just above the knee. I gather that this photo dates from a period before hose supporters were widely worn--at least by boys." We don't see the round garters. What I do see is rather hard to figure out. One his left leg (our right) I see a wide leg opening and two stripe detailing at yhe knee hem (repeat of the cuff stripes. On his right leg hem I see one stripe (that is not the right color). I first thought this was part of the stripe detailing on the pants. But on closer examination it looks to be a vertical factor associated with the stockings, presumably shading caused by the lighting. I think the leg contours above his hand suggest that below his hand what appars to be a darkish band is in fact a shaded area of the stockings and not a stripe on the pants or a round collar. The wide leg openings mean that the garters could not be put on top the pants. But they are nicely pulled up meaning that some kind of gaters is likely, I just don't see the round garters you mention.

Footwear

He also wears ribbed long stockings and low-cut shoes. For some reson, high-top shoes becae very common in the late-9th century, but low-cut shoes were common at mid-century.

Hair Style

At first we thought the boy's hair was messed up and not carefully combed. Aftr looking at it more crefully, we think that this as a style caredlly combed by mother.

Pull Toy

Notice his wonderful pull horse to which he is not paying much attention. He is much more concerned with the photographer. It is presumably a studio prop.

Other Related Pages:
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Created: 9:13 PM 12/16/2012
Last updated: 9:42 PM 12/16/2012