Figure 1.--We believe that this an American image, although we have no confirmation of this. The image is located in America and that suggests that it is American. We believe that the portrait was probably taken in the late 1950s, in part because both farther and son are wearing single breasted suits and the lapels and ties are rather narrow.

HBC has begun to collect accounts of individual American boys doing their First Communion. We have a variety of portaits. Some are idebntified, but many are not. We have obtained several First Communion portraits without any provinance. We can not at this time readily date or identify these images. The fashions allow us to make some rough guesses as to when the portraits were taken, but are not positive about them. We would be interested in any insights that HBC readers might have. We also have some accounts of First Communion experiences. Notably we have found very few 19th century images.

The 1900s

Unidentified Boy (about 1905)

We do not know a great deal about this boy except that he was from Perth Amboy, New Jersey. We have a portrait of him doing his First Comminion. It is undated, but looks to us to have been taken about 1905. He wears a knickers suit. Another portrait shows him a few years later, we think for his confirmation.

Hispanic Boys (1908)

Here we have two Hispanic boys. All we know for sure is that the portrait was taken in 1908. We do not know where the portrait was taken, but you might expect California. The boys wear dark knicker suits with long black stockings, the standard outfit at the time. We are a little confused by the portrait. Since they are photographed together and wear virtually identical outfits, you might assume that they are brothers, but we do not understand why different age brothers would have their First Communion on the same day. It is interesting hat these formal First Communion portaits appear aftter the turn of the 20th century. We see very few such portraits in the 1890s. We are not sure why such an observeable change occurred at this time.

Agnes and Clarence Rogers (late 1900s)

Here we have a First Communion portrait of Agnes and Clarence Rogers. They did their First Communion at St. Mary's Church in Coon Creek, Kansas. We know nothing about the family. The portrait is undated. We would guess it was taken in the late 1900s or early 1910s. This is in part because knickers were more common in the 1910s than the 1900s, especially the early 1910s. And these plain, longish cut jackets declined in popularity during the 1910s. Agnes wears the white junior bridal dress that was common for the girls. Clarence wears a double breasted knickers suit with long stockings. These conservative suits were very commonly worn for First Communion. Note the stiff, rounded collar and white necktie.

The 1910s

Grant Fahvenbach (about 1910)

This photo postcard shows Grant Fehvenbach in his First Communion costume. All we know about the portrait is the boy's name and the fact that he is American. The portrait is undated, but we would guess about 1910. The portrait is interesting for a number of reasons. Here Grant wears a fancy blouse and bow, but not a suit. We note many portraits of boys doing their First Communion beginning in the 1910s, but few earlier. And First Communin portraits are rare before the turn of the 20th century. We can not yet explain this chronology.

Cletus Hullen (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 knickes suit with black long stockings. The younger boy is Henry Oelschlagen. He wears a white shirt and white kneeopants with white long stockings. I'm not sure about their relatioinship.

Missouri Boy (1917)

We do not know this boy's name. We do know that he was from St. Louis, Missouri and that he did his First Communion at St. Anthony Church which may have had an attached school in 1917. His First Communion outfit included a white blouse, white kneepants, white long stockings, and white strap shoes. His hair was dine in bangs, but rather long at the side. All the boys doing their First Communion at St. Anthony wore the same basic outfit so they must have received instructins from the Church. He looks to be 6-7 years old.

Chicago Brothers (1919)

We are a little uncertain about the portrait here. We note two brothers from Chicaho having a formal portrait taken in 1919. We are not sure if it is for a First Communion ot Lithern Confirmation. Perhaps readers may know how to diferentiate. The age of the boys suggests it may be a confirmation. The boys wear dark knickers suit with wing collars and white bowties. They have lapel corsages and sleeve bows. They stand between a elaborate floral display with ribbons and a candel. The candel suggests the boys may be German ancestry. The portrait is useful because it was in a folio-type folder.

The 1920s

Unidentified Children (early 1920s)

I think we may have posted this image elsewhere on HBC, but cannot yet track it down. When we do we will make the appopriate links. All that we are sure about is that it is a group of American children doing their First Communion. We are not sure who the four children are or their relationship. The girls are dressed similarly, but the boys are dress quite differently. One boy wears a black suit white the other a white suit. The portrait is undated, but we would guess the early 1920s. The late 1910s is possible, but the early 1920s seems more likely to us.

Frank Sinatra: New Jersey Boy (1923)

This New Jersey boy will be instantly recognizable to every American. He is from Hoboken and had his portrait taken I believe in 1923 at 7-8 years old. He wears a dark single breasted, above the knees knickers suit. He has a large Eton collar with a collar and sleeve bow.

John Czechatowski: Polish-American Boy (1928)

John Czechatowski had his first Communion portrait taken in 1928. The candle he holds was epecially common in German First Communion portraits. There are several interesting aspects to the portrait. The name is obviously Polish. American Catholics in the 1920s were primarily Irish or Eastern/Southern European ethnics. Poland was of course a predominantly Catholic country. His family would have migrated in the late-19th or early 20th century. We do not know where he was from, but probably a large mid-Western industrial city. He wears a greyish knickers suit with black long stockings. The suit easily could have been worn in the 1910s, but the lw-cut shoes are a good inicator of the 1920s. This colorized studio portrait was printed in post card format. The white border is another indicator of the 1920s although e see some from the late 1910s. Hehas a rather severe hair cut, cropped close on the sides.

The 1930s

Unidentified Boy (1930s)

This snapshot is unidentified and undated. The boy is clearly wearing his First Communion outfit. It looks to us like the photograph was taken in the 1930s, although the 40s is also a poosibility. The boy's outfit is a liitle unusual as I haven't notice boys wearing white knickers very commonly. White short and long pants were common, but not knickers. The sports collar is also a little unusual for a formal outfit.

Al ??? (1937)

This boy's name was Al, but we don't know his last name. We do know that he has his portrait taken in 1937 in his First Communion suit. It looks to be a black short pants suit. He also wears black knee socks and black shoes. We do not know where he lived. The conservative outfit suggests to us that he was from a relatively prosperous family. With his all black outfit he has a white tie.

Pennsylvania Boy (late-1930s)

We are not entirely sure how to date this portrait. All we know for sure is that he ws from Reading, Pennsylvanisa. He is pictured with his father for a First Communion portrait. We suspect that they are an Italian immigrant family. Reading was a northeastern industrial city that attracyed Italian and other European immigrants in the late-19th and early 2th century. The background looks rather old fashioned, but the long knickers and ankle socks look like the 1930s to us. We do not note boys commonly wearing abkle socks in the 1910s and 20s for formal portraits. And the long knickers are also unusual for this period. So we think think it must be the 1930s, probably the late-1930s. The boy has an unusual cilored First Cmmunin sleeve bow. Usually these bows were white.

The 1940s

Charles Smith: Pennsylvania Boy (about 1940)

Here we see Joseph Smith in a knicker suit, probably the suit that he wore to his German school. Click on the image to see Joseph with his brother Charles. They are dressed in new knicker suits, probably blue. Charles is wearing his suit for his First Communion. Knickers at the time were rapidly going out of style.

Iowa Boy (1941)

Here is an Iowa boy dressed up in his First Communion suit for a formal studio porrait. He was photographed on the front page of his grand parents home (Grandpa Ben and Grandma Anna along with his sister Pat who was 10 years old and holds a school slate. Jude is presumably about 7 years old. The snapshot was taken June 15, 1941. It looks to be a warm day. Neither Jude or his Grandpa are wearing their suit jaackets. Juse wears a white shirt and checked tie.

D'Amici, Robert (1947)

Robert D'Amicio did his First Communion on April 13, 1947. The portrait shows him in his white short pants suit which would have been purchased judst for the occassion. He has a white floppy bow rather than a necktie. This was one of the last times we have noted boys wearing floppy bows rather than a necktie. He also had a First Communion sleeve bow. His suit has knee-length shorts and short socks worn with white shoes. Robert is holding a prayer book and rosary beeds. I am not sure where he is from, but he may have lived in Massachsuettes.

Three Unidentified Boys (1948)

Here we see three unidentified boys wearing identical whote short pants suits fot their First Communion. The snapshot is taken in front of one of the boys' homes. They could not be brothers because they are all about the same age. They are dressed identically in all white with the exception of one boy wearing black shoees. The boys all wear ankle socks. Knee socks for boys were going out of style in America at the time. The identical outfits suggests the boys went to a Cathoic school. The house looks rather suburban, but we do not know where the boys were from.

The 1950s

Unknown Boy (Early 1950s)

We believe that the image here is an American portrait (figure 1), although we have no confirmation of this. Some of our European reades think that it is French or Italian. The boy is clearly a Roman Catholic becuse of the religious statute and the sleeve ribbon shows that he is taking his First Communion. The image is physically located in America and that suggests that it is American--although of course this i not a fool-proof indicator. We believe that the portrait was probably taken in the late 1950s, in part because both farther and son are wearing single breasted suits and the lapels and ties are rather narrow. Much wider (and louder) ties were common in the early 1950s as well as the lapels. There is one aspect about this images which rather confuses us. American children genrally did their First Communion at about age 7. This boy looks quit a bit older, perhaps 11 or 12 years old or so--although the short pants make him look younger. We note that some European boys do their First Communion at a later age. We would be interested in any insights reader might be able to add. We are increasinly coming to the view that this is a Confirmation rather than a First Cmmunion portrait.

Unidentified Boy (1952)

This American boydid his First Communion in 1952. Unfortunately that is all we know about him. Dad took his photograph outside their home, presumably before driving to church for the ceremony. He wears a white floppy bow. This had been cimmon earlier, but we rarely see it after the early 50s. Boys were more likely to wear bow ties or neckties. The boy wears a long pants suit as was becoming common in America.

New Jersey Boy (1950s)

I grew up during 1950s in New Jersey. I had quite a few suits, so there were different colors, but mom seemed to favor dark suits with shorts that matched the jacket. I do remember one different suit. I don't know whether you are familiar with the Catholic ceremony of First Communion, but at age seven, boys and girls go through it. There is studying, and a final ceromony at church, where all the boys and girls attend a Mass, dressed all in white. The girls wore white laced dresses with white knee socks, and the boys were also dressed the same, in all white suits with short pants, white knee socks, and white shoes. I have a picture of me and my classmates and we looked adorable if I do say so. I don't remember exactly how I felt about it. The other boys also had short pants suits and my other suits were all short pants suits. Last week my brother brought my nephew Matthew by. He will have his First Communion in a couple months. I showed him my picture. It isn't to different than the suit he will wear, except the short pants and white knee socks that you can't see in the picture. When I told him I wore shorts, he could hardly believe it. No way!, he said that he would ever wear white short pants and knee socks!!

The 1960s

California Boy (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.

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Created: May 25, 2002
Last edited: 11:19 PM 7/13/2008