Figure 1-- : The Regent's Park swan desires a closer acquaintanceship with the little boy,who keeps his distance with a bag of food. Thge photograph is undated, but we would guess was taken in the early 1930s. The boy wears a knit outfit with strap shoes and white socks.

The clothing worn for park outings has varied over time. There also appear to have been some differences between countries. We have begun to collect some vasic information about different chronological periods.

Victorian Era (1830-1901)

Even though park visits were esentially play outings, the Victorian child was often outfitted in rather formal clothes for these outings. Unfortunately, the photographic record offers few insights into clothing styles for park outings for most of the 19th century. Drawings and paintings offer some insights as do memoirs of the era. Hoopand sticks were popular in Victorian Europe and America.

Edwardian Era (1901-18)

After the turn of the century photography moved out of the studio and began supplying outdoor images.There is a much fuller understanding of clothing trnds during the Edwardian period as there are many available outdoor photographs, because cameras were now in the hands of amateur photographers.

Inter-War Era (1918-45)

Outfitting boys for outings to the park in the years after World War I meant less formal wear than in the past. Fauntleroy suits were no longer seen and sailor suits became less common. More commfortable, less confining clothing appeared. Here we see a london boy out for an outing in Regent's Park, the London park where a mazor zoo is located.

Post-War Era (1945-to date)

Clothing after World War II continuing the informal styles that appeared after World War I. Increasingly comfort emerged as a key attribute and the child's preferences became increasingly important.