Figure 1.--Robert was born in 1900. He was the oldest boy. This photo was taken during the Spring, probably during a stay with his Grandparents. He was dressed in a very modern style for his time. Robert had long uncurled hair and a hair bow which we wears with a rather plain plain outfit of a blouse with a large collar and suspender shorts. Probably his garment were of quality. Like his brother, he had ringlets when he was younger. The portrait was taken about 1905. This is one of the earlier images I ghave noted of suspender shorts.

A HBC reader has sent us two portraits and information about his relaives in the early 20th century. The images are portrits of two brothers at different ages, just after the turn of the century. I thought that the portrait of the older broither looked like he was beginning school, but our French reder tells us that it was taken about 1 year before he bgan school. The clothes do not look dressy, but rather what a boy his age might have worn to school under a school smock. Long hair was very fashionable a the time for younger boys. The clothes the boys are wearing are good examples of the styles that were worn in the early 20th century before World War I (1914-18). The boy were about 3-5 years old when the portraits were taken.

The Family

A HBC reader tells us, "Both Henri and Robert was born in northern France. They were my mother's brothers. This familly was composed of five children and my mother was the youngest. When they were young, these children lived in Paris, but also regulary in the French Riviera, especialy during the summer school holiday. The familly was of Alsatian origins. Some members of the family left Alsace after its loss to Germany in the Franco-Prussian War. They move to various areas of northern France and were generally ptrosperous, involved in various industrial pursuits. The family became quite wealthy during the late 19th and early 20th century. They owned a lot of apartments and a beautifull private hotel in Paris. There were houses here or there, land in northermn France, industrial concerns, and other properties

The Boys

These brothers are Robert and his younger brother Henri.

Robert

Robert was the older brother. He was born in 1900. This photo was taken during the Spring, probably during a stay with his Grandparents (figure 1). He was dressed in a very modern style for his time. Robert had long uncurled hair and a hair bow which we wears with a rather plain plain outfit of a blouse with a large collar and suspender shorts. Probably his garment were of quality. Like his brother, he had ringlets when he was younger. The portrait was taken about 1905. This is one of the earlier images I ghave noted of suspender shorts. I do not know much about his boyhood.

Henri

Robert was born 1900. The portrait here was taken about 1903 (figure 1). He wears a sailor suit with long ringlet curls. He looks to be about 3 years old here. Robert became a businessman and had had several children. Henri was born 1902. Henri was a very precocious little boy. He learned to read and write very early and learned to to speak fluently in three languages. He was a competent pianist and very cultivated in literature. Had studied the law and became an attorney, working for the state. He was very active in the negotiations about 1956 over building a new Europe. Henri becamee a " Haut fonctionnaire de l'Etat ". He did not have any children.

School Portrait

This portrait her of Robert looks to HBC very much like a portrait taken about when this boy was about to enter school (figure 1). The clothes do not look dressy, but rather what a boy his age might have worn to school under a school smock. Often these portraits were taken with the child's book bag. In this case we can not be sure as there is no book bag. We rather believe that this looks like a portrait taken just before his hair was cut in preparation for his first day of school. Long hair was not unknown for school-age boys, but many boys had their long hair cut before beginning school. Hair bows were not worn to school. Our HBC reader, however, tell us that this is not a school portrait, but taken about a year before Robert began school.

French Hair Style

Long hair

HBC has noted many images of Frrnch boys with long hair that looks like long uncurled hair. In many cases their hair looks rather unkept. Images of French boys in ringlets are relatively rare. In fact, ringlets were called English styled hair, "angles". We had hought that this boy had uncurled hair. Our French reader writes, "In the early 1900s, long hair, ringlets, and hair bows were commonly worn by boys from fasionable Parisian families. This was especially common in traditional French families. Younger boys might begin school with these long hair styles. The ringlets were called " des anglaises ", seeing the style as an English fashion. Ringlets were considered very chic here. On the French Riviera at this time they are much noble and rich English famillies. In Nice by instance one can find the " promenade des Anglais ". The French Riviera is the seaside with the cities: Monte-Carlos, the Principality of Monaco, Cannes, and Nice. Long hair during the 20th century among all classes, long hair was conidered fashionable for little boys. Even in the 1950s this tradition of long hair still was seen but only for little boys less 4-5 years old. A good example here is a French-Austrian boy. We also note another French boy.

Hair bows

We also note French boys weaing hair bows. Boys when dressed us special might have hairs bows up to 5-6 years og age, like Robert here (figure 1). A French reader writes, "Younger French boys in th early 20th century had their hair done with hair bows. Boys continued to wear hair bows until fter World war I, ome even in the 1920s.

Barettes

The Boys' Hair Styles

I remember that Henri told me that his mother was fond of long hair for him, but he did not like it. I also remember that when I stayed with him in Nice that he let my hair grow longer. I never had ringlets, but did have curls and a choupette unill past my fifth bithday."

Robert

The portrait of Robert here is interesting. Robert wears his long hair with a hair bow (figure 1). It looks to be a white hair bow tied from a ribbon somwhat broader than most boys' hair bows. It is tied to the side, the most common position for boys' hair bows. What we do not fully understand is just how commonly a boy this age wore hair bows. Was it just for the portrait or did he normally wear a hair bow at home. Another possibility is that his mother just tied on a hairbow for special occassions. Younger boys might begin school with long hair, but probably did not wear hair bows to school. Rober's hair is not done in ringlets, but as a younger boy he wore Ringlets like his younger brother Henri. A HBC reader reports, "I think his hair is curled, but just not ringlets. Very few people have naturally curly hair. French mother, I believe, were more likely to use curlers or if the hair was shorter, pincurls, rather than rag curls like American mothers." The reader adds, "The pincurl came from the many French postcards of the 20s and 30s I have seen on e-Bbay with French children, both boys and girls, with relatively short hair that has been set in pincurls. I know the hair style because my sister, when she was a teenager would fix her hair that way giving it a kink of frizzy look."

Henri

The picture of Robert is interesting as well as the question as to why their mother did Robert's hair in ringlets and not his brother's hair the same way. This appear to be largely a question of age. Henri is younger in this portrait than Robert in his portrait. Our French reader write, "Henri still had long hair when he began school and I am sure that Robert did lso. I never asked him when his hair was cut. A family photo of him at age 6 still shows him with long curled hair."

Figure 2.--This is Henri. He was born in 1902. This photograph was taken during 1906 in Paris.

Clothing

Henri wears a fairly standard kneepants sailor suit (figure 2). He is wearing long short pants without buttons at each side of the legs. He appears to have been breached at a relatively early age.

Robert wears a shirt with a very large Eton-shaped collar. It is not a white shirt, but a light-colored shirt. The pants are rather long suspender shorts. This is one of the earliest examples of suspender shorts that we have noted. After World War II they were almost universally worn by German and French boys. Suspenders were common before the War, but not actual suspender shorts. Note that the pants y are not kneepants with the ornamental buttons at the hem. He wears three-quarter lengh socks with stout, but low-cut shoes. Also note the neckwear. It is not a bow, but looks rather like a string tie. This and similar styles of neckwear was worn by French boys into the 1960s.

Education

Both Robert and Henri were very well educated. They spoke both French and German.

Social Class

The clothes suggest that the boys came from an affluent family. They look generally plain. we have seen rench children wearing much fancier outfit. While plasin, we suspect that the clothes were of very high quality. We also suspect that these outfits may have not bbeen the boys' party suits. Boys from affluent families with fashionable mothers about 1910 might wear very fancy Fauntleroy type suits. A french fashion magazine in 1907 provided details on the suits worn by boys this age.

World War II

Neither Henri or Robert served in World War II. They were already about 37 and 39 years old when the War began in 1939. The military draft took men 20-23 years old. Henri was reserve officer. The German Western Offensive in 1940 defeated the French Army in a few weeks and occupied Paris. He advised my parents not to leave Paris as the Germans approached. He already knew that it was impossible to escape. My Parents were, however, afraid for their child and did flee. Already the Germans had cut off the roads south and when my Parents got back home their litlle boy was seriously injured. Henri worked for a Government ministry, but he hated the Germans and was soon forced to flee Paris and live in the unoccupied sector (Vichy). Robert had several children when the war broke out and stayed in Paris.

Post-war Era

Robert's business were seized by the Germans during the occupation. After te liberation he got them back, but there had been extensive damage. Henri after liberation in 1945 was appointed as haut fonctionnaire du gouvernement with several successive mission , such commissaire au plan, conseiller du gouvernement ect. :

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Created: November 13, 2001
Last updated: October 12, 2003