Figure 1.-- This photograph is undated, but looks to have been taken in the 1890s. It is clearly a comfortable middle-class neigborhood. Notice that almost all the boys wear hats and knee pants. Only two boys wear caps and only one boy has long pants. Notice that all the boys except a younger boy in the hedge wear suits. The boys in the front are shooting marbles.

The principal activity for boys in the 1890s was school. The American public school system was well established by the 1890s. It was one of the best in the world. Many boys had to work at the time. Child labor laws were not well estanlished, although some states in the Nirth had began to pass both compulsory attendance and child labor laws. Religion was another important activity. Many children attended sunday schools and events like First Communion and Confirmation were important. We begin to learn more about boys' leisure activities in the 1890s, in part because we start to see what look like snapshots and not just studio portraiture. Photography was still fairly complicated and only only real ethusiasts were involved. Most photography was still studio photography, but we do see some outdoors people giving us some insights on the activities in which boys were involved. Modern sports had begun to take their modern form. Baseball and football were well established. Basketball was invented (1891) and very rapidly became a popular school sport. There were not a lot of facilities for youth sports outside of schools, so we see a lot of children playing in the streets and vacant lots. We see boys playing a variety of games. Shooting marbles were very popular. We also see more boys learning musical instruments. Boys also went to dance lessons.

The Arts

We also see more boys learning musical instruments. Boys also went to dance lessons.

Family Reunions

Famioly Reunions seem very popular at the turn of the century. This seems to have been a demogrsaphic mattr. Familes tdebded to be lrge in the 19th century when most Americazs lived on the farm. Yes thuhe new cities were developing as peolke left the farm to finf jobs kin the cities. Earlier most Americans lived and sgies close to swhere they were born, but now mny families were seprated with snme staying in the farm, but more and more moving into America'sd groewing indudtrisal cities. This was occuring ll over ther country. Thus getting togther wuith the family pstrisrchjs weas someyhnong many families wanted to do occasdionaly, esopercially as momn and dd got older. And it standsd out in the American photographic record.

Parties

Men and women as well as the kids dressed formally in the 1890 even for occasuins that we now see as casual evernts. Parties were definitely a timreto dress up. And this included the kids. Kids were always dressed up in their best clothes for parties. And in the 1890s that could be very fancy oufits. Younger boys might earkilt uits or Little Lord Fainteleroy suits>. During the summer they might just wear the fancy Fauntleoy blouses without the suit jacket. These blouses had huge ruffled collars and were often worn with large floppy bows. We also see sailor suits. Older boys might not have Fauntleriy suits, but often were decked out with Fauntleriy trim like the large collars and floppy bows. Girls might wear fancy dresses with elaborate decorative elements such as ribbons and ruffles. White was a popular color for party dresses. We do noy yet see huge hair bows, wbut we some smaller bows.

Play

We begin to learnmore about boys' leisure activities in the 1890s, in part because we start to see what look like snapshots and not just studio portraiture. Photography was still fairly complicated and only only real ethusiasts were involved. Most photography was still studio photography, but we do see some outdoors people giving us some insights on the activities in which boys were involved. We see boys playing a variety of games. Shooting marbles were very popular.

Religion

Religion was another activity to consider. Religion was still a very important aspect of American life. The social life of nany familkies were organized around their church. And there were activities for children beyond just attendiung sunday serb=vices. Many children attended sunday schools and events like First Communion and Confirmation were important. We do not yet have much chronological information on sunday schools. We do note a Wyoming sunday school in 1900. We have been unable to find many 1890s First Communion images. We believe a factor here is that except for the Irish, Catholics only began arriving in large numbers in the 1870s and it took time for these new Ameriacans to found churches and become established in American society. Thus we only begin to find First Comminiin poortatraits in the 1890s and really large number of images in the 1900s. We do see a number of group photographs that look to us to be church picnics. We welcome any other assessments readers might have. They provide elaborate details on popular fashion. The photographs we have found are not dated, but look like the 1890s to us. Again we welcome reader assessments. These images are quite valuable because of the numbers of people involved if all ages and both genders.

School

The principal activity for boys in the 1890s was school. The American public school system was well established by the 1890s. It was one of the best in the world. Anbd the traditiion of school phoyograpjy was well esrabkished by the 1890s, at least group photograohy. We have a considerable archive of thse potographs for the 1890s, bith in the chronological section and the individual school section. These sections with groupo photograph privide a very valuable view of popular styles for the decade. We see how boys and girls dressed at different ages all over the country.

Sports

Modern sports had begun to take their modern form. Baseball and football were well established. Basketball was invented (1891) and very rapidly became a popular school sport. There were not a lot of facilities for youth sports outside of schools, so we see a lot of children playing in the streets and vacant lots.

Work

Many boys had to work at the time. Child labor laws were not well estanlished, although some states in the North had began to pass both compulsory attendance and child labor laws. We do noit yet have nany images of child labor. We do have coutless images for the 1900s thanks to the invention of photojournalism. We see children in many economic sectors. These images provide a good idea of child labor in the 1890s. There would not have been a great deal of difference. This was somewhat affected by demographics. Most Americans still lived in rural areas, but thius as rapidly changing. The United Dtates by the 1890s has become the most important industrial country in the world. A fact that would profoundly affect the course of the 20th century.

Created: 10:57 PM 5/22/2011
Last updated: 3:49 AM 10/14/2021