Figure 1.--Here is a Montreal boy wearing a pleated skirt and his little sister. The childern look to be about 2-5 years of age. The mother ptobably saw the boiy's skirt as a kilt, although there were no kilt elements other than the pleating. The potrait shows two children in an indoor setting on steps with a carpet runner. We think it is a studio setting. The girl is seated on the steps, has curly long hair and is wearing a black velvet dress with a lace hem. She is wearing brown socks and brown shoes. Her sightly older brother is standing on the steps, holding the door open. He is wearing a black velvet jacket with lace cuffs and collar and a pleated skirt and brown socks and shoes. A small tea set sits on the step between them. The studio is Canada;'s most restigious -- Wm. Notman. It was taken in the Montreal studio, but Notman had studios in other cities. >

We are not sure how commomly Canadian boys wore skirts. We have been able to find few images. We think it may have been more common than suggested by the photograhic record. Skirts may have been more common than recorded in studio photography for which the children were commoly dressed up in their best outfits. Skirts may have been seen as too informal for the studio. We have found one image, a Montreal boy wearing aleated skirt. The mother ptobably saw this a a kilt, although there were no kilt elements other than the pleating. The potrait shows two children in an indoor setting on steps with a carpet runner. We think it is a studio setting. The girl is seated on the steps, has curly long hair and is wearing a black velvet dress with a lace hem. She is wearing brown socks and brown shoes. Her sightly older brother is standing on the steps, holding the door open. He is wearing a black velvet jacket with lace cuffs and collar and a pleated skirt and brown socks and shoes. A small tea set sits on the step between them.

Created: 6:46 AM 6/28/2016
Last updated: 6:46 AM 6/28/2016