Figure 1.-- Here is a Lutheran confirmation class, taken in Rochester, New York, in 1932. The boys and girls, who seem to be between about 12 and 14 years of age, are all dressed very formally for the ceremony. The Lutheran pastor sits in the center. The girls are dressed in white dresses with white long stockings. Notice the rather grown-up marcelled or waved hair-dos. The boys wear dark knicker suits with white shirts and white ties.

Confirmation is a very complicated topic in a diverse country like the United States. That is because different churches take a very different approach to conformation. They both persue conformation at a different time in a child's life, view if differently, and attach varying importance to it. Catholics seem to attach more importance to first communion than confirmation while Protestants tend to give more importance to Confirmatin. We have very little information about the 19th century, but note images of confirmatin in the 20th century. We note fewer confirmation than first communion. We assume that reflects the relative number of children involved. We note boys doing First Communion wearing a range of outfits. We see boys wearing dark and white suits. White became more common after World War I.

Religious Differences

Confirmation is a rite, but not always a sacrament, in most Christian Churches. Confirmation is, however, a very complicated topic in a diverse country like the United States. That is because different churches take a very different approach to conformation. The various denominations both persue conformation at a different time in a child's life, view if differently, and attach varying importance to it. Thus America with laarge numbers of people of virtually every major faith, the celebration of confirmation is quite varied. he older more trafitional churches (Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox Churches) tend to view it as a sacrament as well as one Protestant church. Most Anglicans view confirmation as a sacrament. Anglicans of course are the Protesant denomination cloest to the Catholics. The Eastern rites churches confer it on infants after baptism, but in the West it tends to be administered later in life. One source suggests that Catholics set confirmation at the age of discretion or about 7 years of age, but this is the age for first communion so we are a little confused. We note Frech boys at some private schools doing confirmation at about 13 years of age, bur in general we see far fewer Catholic boys doing confirmation than first communion. There are variations among countries and over time. Protestant churches tnd not to make cnfirmation a sacrament, with the excetion of the Anglicans. For Protestants confirmation i more of a statement by a maturing youth of his faith. Thus confirmation is ot only a religious event, but a kind of coming of age ceremony. The youth begins to be seen as a member of the community with more respnsibilities. This is somewhat similar to bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah in Judiaism. The importance of confirmation varies amog Protestant churches. It is most important with in the Anglican and Luthern denomimations. Catholics seem to attach more importance to first communion than confirmation while Protestants tend to give more importance to Confirmation. We note fewer confirmation than first communion. We assume that reflects the relative number of children involved.

Lutherans

Confirmation is especially important to Lutherans. This presumably is part of the German tradition. A substantial number of American Lutherans are of German heritage. And confirmation continues to be important in Germany. A HBC reader writes, "Lutheran confirmation is a big deal- I have lots of family confirmation pictures. My father in law was one of seen boy s. One intersting thing is that by the time my husband was confirmed (1973-1974) all the confirmands (boys and girls) wore white robes for the ceremony, which I think were rented). Not sure when this began." [Baumgarten] One little confirmation story. My father in law now deceased was a Lutheran pastor in rural Wisconsin). Several years ago while we were in a restaurant, a man from his first confirmation class recognized him and approached him. (My father in law was ordained in 1939.) He explained that because he lived in the country and transportation was a problem, he was not confirmed until he was 16. His mother had him wait until his younger sister was 14, so that the two of them could go through classes together. That way they could share one party. (Which would be less expensive I imagine. This might explain why sometimes you see what appear to be siblings of different ages going through what looks to be the same religious ceremony (communion, confirmation ,etc) at the same time. Here in Chicago, it seems to be common in the Greek community to wait until you have several children and have them baptized at the same time- the reason being given is that the party is such a big expense." [Baumgarten]

Chronology

We have very little information about the 19th century, but note images of confirmatin in the 20th century. After Wotld War I, these confirmation portaits become less common, although we continue to note many First Communion images. Here I am not sure what the relative availability of photographic portraits means.

Immigrant Community

Another factor in America is the substantial immigrant communities. European countries are less diverse than America. And immigrant comminities tended to perpetuate the ceremonies and celebrations of their European communities. Thus we see many German Luthern communities cintnuing to give consideerable importance to confirmation.

Outfits

We note boys doing First Communion wearing a range of outfits. We see boys wearing dark and white suits. White became more common after World War I.

Examples

We have collected several examples of confirmations. We have archived a number of American boys on HBC that are doing their Confirmation. They are not always identified, but as far as we can tell seen to be confirmations. The avaiable portraits do not always indicate if the boys were Catholic or Protestant. Details as to the age and nature of these ceremonies are not readily apparent.

Albert Stabnler (1897)

This cabinent portrait of Albert Staebler was taken in Clevland, Ohio. It is undated, but looks to us as if it was taken in the 1890s. Here the whicker furniture is a clue. Whicker furniture appears after the turn-of-the 20th century, but most cabinent card portraits were taken before the turn of the century. He wears a suit with a long jacket and vest. He looks to be about 13-years old. Note the rosary and what looks like a homberg hat. The rosary meaning that Albert was Catholic. Until after the Civil War, except for the Irish, there were relatively few Catholics in America. Beginning in the 1870s and especially the 80s, very large numbers of European s began emigrating to America, many were from Catholic countries. Cleveland was one of the growing industrial cities that attracted immigrants seeking jobs. A reader writes, "I found that you have a photo of my Great Grand Uncle on your website… Albert Staebler of Cleveland, Ohio. He was born 1884. I should like to note, he is not German. The family hails from Alsace, France and we are Catholic as you surmised."

Harold Crown (1913)

Harold was the oldest brother. He was born April 1899 and died in March 1982. The three older brothers were born fairly close to each other and thus presumably were very close as boys . We suspect that they were as a result dressed similarly. Thus as a younger boy, Harold was probably outfitted in dresses much like the portrait of Richard on the main Crown family page. We do know that the family was Catholic. A portrait of Harold in 1913 shows him wearing his Confirmation suit. Or is the suit for First Communion. We are not sure about these early portraits. Harold seems to be about 13 or 14 years old.

Cletus Hullen and Henry Oelschlagen (about 1915)

Here we have another First Communion portrait, or at least we think it is a First Communion portrait. There are four children in the portrait. We think it is the older children having their First Communions. The older boy is Cletus Hullen. He wears a dark suit. You can not tell from the scan here, but he is wearing a knicketrs suit. The younger boy is Henry Oelschlagen. He wears a white shirt and white kneepants with white long stockings. Boys did not commonly wear white long stockings, but younger boys might werar them for special occassions. The unusual aspect of this portrait is the little boy is dressed up, even wearing white long stockings, but wearing them with canvas shoes--sneakers. HBC has developed some information on the color of long stockings during the 1910s. This is the only instance we have ever noted thast. The girls are Margatet and Jeneviene Budina. I'm not sure what the younger children are doing with the older children. The portrait is undated and do not know where in America the portrait was taken.

Lutheran confirmation (1932)

Here is a Lutheran confirmation class, taken in Rochester, New York, in 1932. The boys and girls, who seem to be between about 12 and 14 years of age, are all dressed very formally for the ceremony. The Lutheran pastor sits in the center. The girls are dressed in white dresses with white long stockings. Notice the rather grown-up marcelled or waved hair-dos. The boys wear dark knicker suits with white shirts and white ties

American confirmation (1960)

An American who attended Catholic parochial schools in the 1950s and 60s tell us about his school uniform and his First Communion and Confirmation suits. I noted the several Holy Communion photos on the HBC site. In one American image, the man standing by the this boy is his sponsor and such photos were very typically to commemorate the event here in the United States. First Communion is normally done in the Second Grade at a Catholic school. White was the color for the Holy Communion kids and we boys had a long sleeve shirt with a white bow-tie and white short pants like our uniform length: fingertip length when standing straight with knee socks and white dress shoes. Confirmation is a Catholic event for 12 to 13 year-olds and that is typically done in the 7th grade.

American contributor (1970s)

One American contributor to HBC recalls a rather touching confirmation suit his mother made for him because they did not have money for a new store-bought suit. This account also includes a great deal of useful information about the 1970s

Sources

Baumgarten, Marion. E-mail message, December 30-31, 2007.

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Created: 8:32 PM 5/8/2005
Last edited: 12:33 AM 1/14/2009