American Newsboys: Chronology


Figure 1.--Here we see newsboys in Louisville, Kentucky. The photograph is undated, but looks to have been taken in the 1930s. The boys would have had delivery routes. Knickers were commonly worn by American boys in the early 20th century. By the 1930s more boys were beginning to wear long pants, especiakly by the time they entered hifgschool. Most of the boys here wear long pants. One of the boys wears knickers with knee socks and that another wears leather leggings such as Western Union boys sometimes wore. A reader writyes, "I think this is because they rode bikes on their delivery routes and didn't want long pants to catch in the chains on their bikes. Or was it because they came from more conservative families who hadn't let their sons wear long pants yet? Most of the boys do wear long pants. These boys, presumably, would have needed bicyle clips to keep their trousers from catching in the bike chains. Some bikes, however, may have had chain guards over the chains to prevent this from happening.

We do note boys selling newspapers in American during the late 19th century. Selling newspapers was an important source of income for boys from low-income urban families. Boys continued selling newspapers, although child labor laws and school attendance laws were enacted during the 1910s and 320s. The Depression befinning in 1929 also had an impact. Jobs were so difficult to find during the Depression that men replaced newsboys. Child labor laws also became more strictly enforced. A shift occurred during the Depression era. Rather than selling newspapers on street corners, boys began increasingly deliveering newspapers door to door. I am not sure about the chronology involved here. I think the Saturday Evening Post was in the early 20th centuiry delivered by boys who had routes rather than mail. We note another shift which began in the 1980s with adults replacing boys with delivering newspapers. We note that immigrants are often involved.

The 19th Century

We do note boys selling newspapers in American during the late 19th century. Selling newspapers was an important source of income for boys from low-income urban families. We do not have many actual photographs of 19th century newsboys. This reflects the complications of 19th century photography. In addition, the socially based photo-journalists documenting newboys only appeared after the turn-of-the-20th century.

The 20th Century

Boys continued selling newspapers. We see many boys selling papers on the streets in the 1900s and early 1910s. This is dramatically illustrated by the photo-journalists inspired by the Progressive Movement. These images and Progressive journalists helped address major social problems in Americ, including child labor. Child labor laws and school attendance laws were enacted during the 1910s and 20s. The pattern across the United States was uneven. The first child labor laws and all school attendance laws were sate laws. The Depression beginning in 1929 also had an impact. Jobs were so difficult to find during the Depression that men replaced newsboys. Child labor laws also became more strictly enforced. A shift occurred during the 1920s and the 1930s (Depression era). Rather than selling newspapers on street corners, boys began increasingly delivering newspapers door to door, either before or after school. Down town, paprs were sold at street kiosks by men or in stores. We are not precisely sure about the chronology involved here. I think the Saturday Evening Post was in the early 20th centuiry delivered by boys who had routes rather than mail. We note another shift which began in the 1980s with adults replacing boys with delivering newspapers. Tghey use cars and have larger routs than boys on foot or using bicyles had. Saftey may be another factor. We note that immigrants are often involved.

21st Century







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Created: 6:57 PM 12/28/2004
Last updated: 6:26 PM 1/6/2009