Figure 1.--This photograph was, I believe, taken in the 1860s. It shows a boy wearing the hair knot style, with parts on both side. Notice his tunic and straw hat. The small collar also helps to date the photograph.
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Figure 1.--This photograph was, I believe, taken in the 1860s. It shows a boy wearing the hair knot style, with parts on both side. Notice his tunic and straw hat. The small collar also helps to date the photograph. |
HBC is not really sure what to call this style, nor
have we seen it mentioned in the literature consulted so far in my
research. Our information on this hair style is largely based on American photographic images. We do not know if it was also a popular hair style in other countries and if so how common it was in which countries. As far as HBC can tell this style was worn from about
1850-1885, although this is only a guess arrived at from the few available images we have. This is largely based on an assessment of photograpic images. HBC can not yet substantiate this, but we believe that this was a boys' hair style and not one that was also worn by girls. The limited number of images I have do not permit me to reasonably assess the age at which boys had their hair styled in these knots. It appears it was most common on boys 5 years old of younger. Some older boys also wore this style, mostly boys 7 or 8 years of age. A few images old older boys up to about 10 years of age also exist. The age range, however, requires, however, some further research. I have only noted this style in American photographs. I have not noted it any foreign phptographs. Thus it may be an American rather than an imported style.
HBC is not really sure what to call this style, nor
have we seen it mentioned in the literature consulted so far in my
research. We have, however, seen large numbers of images with boys weating the style, usually on unbreached boys. For want of a better term I will refer to it as a hair knot. If anyone knows what it was really called when in use, please let us know.
Our information on this hair style is largely based on American photographic images. I have only noted this style in American photographs. I have not noted it any foreign phptographs. Thus it may be an American rather than an imported style. >We do not know if it was also a popular hair style in other countries and if so how common it was in which countries. We do note some similarities with the French choupette hair style of the 20th century. We do not know, however, if this was a jair style worn in France.
As far as HBC can tell this style was worn from about
1850-1885, although this is only a guess arrived at from the few available images we have. This is largely based on an assessment of photograpic images. It is possible that the style was worn earlier in the 1830s and 40s before photographic images were commonly available. I have not noted the style in painted portraits, but there are far few paintings than photographs--so it may just be the lack of images that suggests the style began in the 1850s. We notice a substantial number of images from the 1860s, in part because so many more photographic images were available from the 1860s. I do not think it was must used after the the mid 1880s, aklthough there are a few images of boys with this style in Fauntleroy suits. This means it may have continued into the 1890s, but was much less common than the more standard ringlet curl styles. We note fewer images of boys wearing this style after 1885. I believe this is in part because the Fauntleroy-style
ringlet curls generally
replaced it. Doting mothers who might have used this style apparently
found ringlets much more attractive.
Figure 2.--This Daguerotype or photograph has been colored. Notice the hair knot. I have no details, but would estimate the photograph was taken in the 1860s. The large collar suggests the 1880s, but the small bow looks more like the 1860s. This boy looks older than many boys photographed wityh this hair style. |
HBC can not yet substantiate this, but we believe that this was a boys' hair style and not one that was also worn by girls. As many of the children with this hair style wore dresses, this is a bit difficult to confirm. We have, however, not noted a girl's name among the available images.
The limited number of images I have do not permit me to reasonably
assess the age at which boys had their hair styled in these knots. It
appears it was most common on boys 5 years old of younger. Some older boys also wore this style, mostly boys 7 or 8 years of age. A few images old older boys up to about 10 years of age also exist. The age range, however, requires, however, some further research.
It may not have been very popular as I have not noted it in the drawings and illustrations reproduced in fashion magazines. Also I have noted it it worn in only a small number of photographs. This probably means it was not common, but it was the 1880s when really large numbers of photographs began to be taken, so perhaps the rarity of the images in part reflects the time-frame in which he style was popular.
We note these top-knot hair styles as part as a wild range of different styles. The top-knot style involved sweeping a boys hair into a knot (bun or rinlet) on the top of the head. Sometimes the hair was swept back without a top knot or ringlet. One HBC contributor reports that one style was a part on each side and the hair in the middle made into a curl. These hair knots were worn in several different variants including both relatively short hair and long ringlet curls..
WE have just begun to assess the styles of clothes with which boys would wear this hair style. Based on the few available images, it appears to younger boys both before and after brreching. Boys in dresses wore it as did boys in tunics after they were breeched and wearing bloomer-like knickers. Many of the available mages show boys wearing dresses or skirted outfits wih kneepants or pantelettes. This is espcially the case of the 1850s and 60s portraits. By the 1880s, however, we begin to see a wider range of outfits including many boys wearing kneepants outfits--invcluding Little Lord Fauntleroy suits.
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