Canadian Boys' Clothes: Chronology--19th Century


Figure 3.--This small small tintype measures 3 7/8" x 2 1/2. A Canadian reader believes it is from either New Brunswick or Nova Scotia. I'm not sure how to date it, perhaps the late-1870s or 80s.

We have very limited information on Canada during the early 19th century. War flared with the United States in 1812. One illustration dated 1832 from Montreal shows boys wearing brimmed hats with what look like skeleton suits that have dark jackets and white pants. They have a sailor look to them, but do not look like the sailor suit uniforms that appeared in the 1840s. The two boys are dressed alike, suggesting that they are brothers. The drawing is from Montreal. Boys in rural areas might have dressed quite differently. John McDonald a Scot and Georges-Etienne Cartier a French Canadian founded the Confederation of Canada. Another war with America was narrowly averted over the Western border. After the Civil War, the United States purchased Alaska from the Russians in 1867. This undoubtedly afected British policies in Canada. The Confederation of Canada was formed in the same year. The British were concerned that the western provinces by decide to join he United States. McDonald as Canada's first Prime Minister promised a railroad from coast to coast. It took 20 years to build. Until the construction of the railroad, trade between western and eastern Canada was limited. As far as we can tell, Canadian boys at this time mostly wore English styled clothing. Boys from Scottish families might wear kilts. Boys began to wear kneepants in the 1860s. Our understanding of Canadian boys' fashions in the 19th century is still very limited. We think that English styles were still very important. We are unsure to what extent French fashions were worn in Quebec by French Canadian boys. American mail order catalogs like Sears and Wards are believed to have been very important in spreading American fashions in the sparsely populated plains provinces.

Early 19th Century (1800-40)

We have very limited information on Canada during the early 19th century. War flared with the United States in 1812. One illustration dated 1832 from Montreal shows boys wearing brimmed hats with what look like skeleton suits that have dark jackets and white pants. They have a sailor look to them, but do not look like the sailor suit uniforms that appeared in the 1840s. The two boys are dressed alike, suggesting that they are brothers. The drawing is from Montreal. Boys in rural areas might have dressed quite differently.

Mid-19th Century (1840-70)

Relations netween Canada and American dramtically changed in the mid-19th century. John McDonald a Scot and Georges-Etienne Cartier a French Canadian founded the Confederation of Canada. Another war with America was narrowly averted over the Western border. After the Civil War, the United States purchased Alaska from the Russians in 1867. This undoubtedly afected British policies in Canada. The Confederation of Canada was formed in the same year. The British were concerned that the western provinces by decide to join he United States. McDonald as Canada's first Prime Minister promised a railroad from coast to coast. It took 20 years to build. Until the construction of the railroad, trade between western and eastern Canada was limited. The invention of photography privides us imafes for this period. As far as we can tell, Canadian boys at this time mostly wore English styled clothing. Boys from Scottish families might wear kilts. Boys began to wear kneepants in the 1860s. Britain was the primary fashion influence in the early-19th century and continued to be so in the mid-19th century. But we see portraits of children who could not be destinguished from American boys. This is part because there were similiaroties between American and British fashions, but the rapidly expanding American economy was beginning to impact Canada, especially by the 1860s.

Late 19th Century (1870-1900)

Our understanding of Canadian boys' fashions in the 19th century is still very limited. We do have more photographs for the late 19th century than for earlier periods. It is impossible when viewing these images to identufy them as Canadian. Only id they are marked as Canadian can we be sure that they are Canadian. The asyles the boys wore are not sestinctive, but reflect common Briish or American styles. We think that English styles were still very important. We are unsure to what extent French fashions were worn in Quebec by French Canadian boys. American mail order catalogs like Sears and Wards are believed to have been very important in spreading American fashions in the sparsely populated plains provinces.








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Created: 1:54 AM 1/2/2007
Last updated: 8:21 PM 6/11/2010