Figure 1.--This portrait shows a rural mountain boy in the 1910s, just before World War I. I'm not sure how o interpret the two-colored trousers, but suspect they were cobbeled together by his mother using two worn-out pair of trousers.

We have very little information on Albania at this time, but we have begun to collect some basic information about Albania. We have developed some limited information on the country. HBC has a history page. Although a European country with a long Christian traditiin, Albania was cut off from the West after the Ottoman conquest. Albania did not emerge from Ottoman control until just before World War I (1913). Thus Ottoman ingfluence and fashion were particularly pronounced, more so than any other Balkan country. Another factor was the fact that many Albanians converted to Islam. There is a page on the monarchy and Albanian Boy Scouts. Under the Ever Hoxa and the Communists, Albania was one of the most closed socities in the world. It was even cloesed off from other Communist countries. Only after a democratic government was established (1989) has the country opene up to the outside world. Clothing styles today are largely Western, similar to other Europeans. A reader writes, "Often leather was added as the trousers appear to be if someone was riding a horse because that was where the greatest wear was. Maybe it is leather. Chaps are worn for the same reason, to protect the underlying trousers from wear." We know so little about Albania that we are not sure. Our general impression though is that this boy did not come from a family that was wealthy enough to enjoy horse-back riding. Notice the basic backdrop for an outdoor portrait. This suggests to us the kind of studio low-income people would frequent.

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Crerated: 4:31 AM 11/29/2007
Last updated: 6:38 AM 11/30/2007