*** United States boys clothes : families 1880s








United States Boys' Clothes: 1880s Families

American families
Figure 1.-- Here we have an unidentified American family. There is no indication when the portrait was taken or where. The fashions and hairstyles look to us to be be from the 1880s. The studio depicts the children in a rural setting. The children, however, look like city kids to us. There are four children and two dolls. It is not immediately apparent who is who in the portrait.

We have archived several images of American families in the 1880s. They include both rural and urban families of various levels of affluence, although poor families were unlikely to have portraits made. Families dressed very formally in the 1880s. America at the time was becoming a new world industrial power. The wealth and affluence is clearly reflected in how families dressed. There was a conspicious display of fashion. Younger boys still commonly wore dresses. Kilt suits were also popular for boys. This was the decade in which the Fautleroy suit appeared, often worn with lace collars and large floppy bows. We begin seeing sailor syits. Kneepants were becoming more common, but many boys outside the major urban areas wore long pants. Girls always wore dresses. Plain white dresses were popular for the summer. We note dresses made with jacket-like tops. High-top shoes were common for both boys and girls. Long stockings were commonly worn, including stripped stockings. Children in rural areas went barefoot, especially the boys. Hair styles varied. Younger boys might have elaborate ringlet curls.

1880: Hall Family (New York, 1880)

John H. Hall was a successful New York businessman. Unfortunately we have been unabke to learn more about him. We do know je married Cornelia Ward. And they commissioned a portrait of Cornelia and their four children by Itlian portratist Michele Gordigiani (1880). It is his most sumptuous portrait. Asian art is on display in their parlor. It was painted in an era that vast fortunes were being made in America as the formation of a huge industrial nation was underway. So Americans had the money to engage talnted European artists. This is one example. The boys are wering velvet suits (one black the other burgandy) with different collars. One boy has an Eton collar the other a lace collar. The younger children are wearing fancy white dresses with different collars, one with ble trim and sash. The other with pink trim nd sash. The blue sash child is clearly a girk. The pink sash vhild is probably a girl, but we are not certain. While we have been unable to find information on the family, their portrait is commonly used as an illustratiin of Gilded Age oppulence and privilege.

Early-1880s: Unidentified Family (Pennsylvania)

This cabinet card portrait shows a young Pennsyvania family which is unidntified. We have mom and dad with two children. Mother's dress has velvet trim. Fther's suit jacket has very high-set lapels. The boys look to be about 5-9 years old. The younger boy wears a rather loud kilt suit eith a pin-on lace coolar. Generally these outfits were more muted. His older brother wears a very plain collar-buttoning suit. You can basrely maske out a shirt collar. This leads us to believe that the portrait was takem in the early-1880s before the Fauntleroy craze which began in 1885. The boys' short hair is carefully combed. The studio is Lloyd in Wyalusing, Pennsylvania. The town was located on the Susquehanna River, important before roads and the railrroads were built. It was a rural area where logging was once important.

Early-1880s: Van Burgh Family (New York)

This cabinet card is a portrait of three brothers. The name Paul Van Burgh is written on the back, although the writing is destinct. The boys look to be about 2-9 years old. They are a good example of how boys of different ages were dressed at the time. we are not sure which of the boys is Paul. The youngest boy is about 2 years old and wears a white dress and what looks like a large white lace collar. He has short hair, probably because he does not have enough hair to curl yet. The middle boy looks to be about 4-5 years old and has ringlet curls. He wears a kilt suit. Their older brother wears a suit with sone Norfolk styling. The two older boys gave prominny white collsrs worn with a small floppy bow. The collars and bows are larger than what we see in the 1870s, but smaller than the large collars we begin to see in the mid- and late-80s. The portrait looks to have been taken in the early-1880s, both because of the clothing and the mount done in a dark brown witj gold lettering. All we know for sure, however, is that the studio was Stewart and Yoost in Oneida, New York. Given how the boys were dressed, we would guess that they came from an affluent family with a fashion concious mother.

Early-1880s: Unidentified Grand Rapids Family (Michigan)

This cabinet card shows an unidentified Grand Rapids family. Unfortunately the portait is not dated so we are left to estimate it. Unfortunatley this is very difficult. We like to add dates images here, but do include undated images in the hope that we can estimate the date accurately or can prefect our estimate over time. We do not see any clear indicators. The dealer suggested the 1890s. We believe that that the early-1880s is more likely, although we are not at all sure. We think the boy's black long stockings suggests the 1880s, but the absence of Fauntleroy trim would lead one to look at the early-80s. And mother's dress without the baloon sleeves we think means that the 1890s is unlikely --except perhaps for the very early-90s. The children look to be about 3-10 years old. The younger boy wears sa kilt suit. The older boy wears a collar-buttoning knee pants suit with Norfolk vertical pleats. We think the other chils is a girl who wears a jacketed dress with a ruffled collar. Assessing gender is a tricky thing. This child looks rather like a boy, but the fact thar the younger boy has had his curls cut, means that this child certainly is a girl.

Early-1880s: Unidentified Manchester Family (New Hampshire)

This cabinet card also shows an unidentified Manhester family. Unfortunately the portait is not dated so we are left to estimate it. Now while we can approximately date it we can not be very specific. We would estimate that it was taken about 1880. This could mean the late-1870s or early-1880s. There is not much to go on to chose the actual decade. We have chosen the early-80s but wih little conviction. We do not think it was any later because we do not see much in the line of Fauntlerroy styling except the lace collar. Unfortunatley this is very difficult. We like to add dates images here, but do include undated images in the hope that we can estimate the date accurately or can prefect our estimate over time. We do not see any clear indicators to suggest the late-70s or early-80s, but went with the early-80s becuse of the younger boy's large lace collsr. The younger boy wears a blouse kilt suit. His older brother wears a suit wsith Norfolk styling. The boys look to be about 3-7 years old. Our approch on the dating and other matters is to make our assessment anbd explain why, hoping readers will add any information they may have.

1880s: Rural Family (Arkansas)

Here we have an image of an unidentified Arkansas farm family. We believe the portrait was probably taken in the 1880s, but are not quite sure precisely when. The father's beard is one factor suggesting the 1880s. The portrait was presumably taken by an itenerate photographer. The family is posed on a bench of some kind in the outdoors. The children's clothes are interesting. Notice that overalls are not yet being worn. Also the children are barefoot which suggests, as does the rest of the clothing, that the family was not very prosperous. Also note the boys wearing longpants. Many American boys by the 1880s were wearing kneepants. This was less common among urban working poor as well as poor farm families. We suspect that the family may be share cropers.

1880s: Unidentified Family (unknown location)

Here we have an unidentified American family. There is no indication when the portrait was taken or where. The fashions and hairstyles look to us to be be from the 1880s. The studio depicts the children in a rural setting. The children, however look like city kids to us. There are four children and two dolls. It is not immediately apparent who is who in the portrait. All the children seem to be wearing dresses, but we think some are boys. It is also a colorized portrait, very professionally done. The color was added by hand. It is an unusual size, 7 3/8" x 9 3/4". It is not a cabinent card, but rather a larger size presumably especially made for framing and a wall hanging. The portrait was printed by a narrow white border.

Early-1880s: Stanton Family (Kansas)

This family portrait shows the parents with their four boys. They were the Stanton family from Mankato, Kansas. The studio was Reese. The boys look range in age from about 5-16 years of age. We re uncertain how to date the portrait. We would guess the early 1880s, but the ivory frame and embossed studio logo may mean the later 80s. We may be able to refine the date as we learn more about dating mounts. Mankato was a farming community, but the family dorsn't look to me like a farm family. The portrait is useful in providing information about breeching. The youngest boy is still not breeched. He wears a kilt suit. He looks to be about 5 years old, although he could be 4 years old, difficult to tell.

Early-1880s: Ottawa Family (Kansas)

Here we have another Kansas portrait. We have a mother with her three children, but there is no fmily identification. The children look to be about 5-12 years old. The two older boys are dressed alike with very high set lapel jackets and tucked in bows. The only difference we see is that the younger boy wears knee pants and the older boy long pants. Notice the rounded-crown straw hat. Presumably this was worn by the younger boy. We are left wondering what kind of headwear the older boy wore. Perhaps they wore the same style and this only needed to display one. We are unsure about the younger child. We think he is a boy wearing a kilt suit, but we are not positive. He looks to be about 5-years old. The hair is slightly different than the older boys, but still a boyish cut. This is not defintive, however, as some girls had short hair. Unfortunately the cabinet card is not dated. We are guessing that itv was taken in the early-1880s, but the lste-70s is certainly aossibility. The brown mount was common in both the 70s and 80s. We post these images in the chronological section with our best assessment hoping that readers will have some insights to refine oir asessment. The studio was Orwin in Ottawa, Kansas.

1884: Brother and Sister (Massachusettes)

This portrait pictures a brither abd sister about 9-11 years old, posed by a water well, we think in an effort to depict a rural scene. The portrait was taken by a Lynn, Massachusetts studio was meant to be a nostalgic scene. Lynn was an early American industrial city and some of the resisdents had fond images of their rural roots. The boy may be wearing a militry school unifirm, alhough the Eton collar and floppy bow were not usually worn at military schools. Kepis wwre worn at the time and not just a military schools. Striped knee pants, however, were not common. His sister wears a jacketed ress, with a black velvet jacket, large laace collar, and what looks line a small bustle, popular dress feature in the 1880s. Bustles for adukt womn were must more prominant. Also slso notice the scrunched fabric--also popular in the 80s.

1884: The Lewis Family (Dakota Territory)

This 1884 cabinent card shows the family of Solon Lewis family with three children. We thought that the lady was his wife, but it may be his sister. The inscription on the back says "Gertude Lewis (my sister). Presumably the father wrote this, but it is possible one of the children wrote the inscription after the portrait was taken. Father does look like a farmer, more than likely a homesteader. The children were Mary, Robert, and Jay. The lady wears a very full dress, we're not sure about the color. Mary in contrast looks to be a white dress which is style rather plainly. The older boy wears a lace-up jacke, kind of a Davey Crocket effect. Notice the ruffled collar. Iis larger than seen in the 1860s and 70s, but not the huge size seen by the end of the decde. Perhaps dad is holding the deed to his homestead. The studio was Haynes in Fargo, Dakota Territory.

1885: Mangan Family (Washington)

We note two porteaits of the Mangan family children. Their parents were Tim and Flora Mangan. Three of the family's six children were born in Missouri. The others were born after the family moved to Guemes Island. This is a small island in the southeastern part of the San Juan Islands chain in Puget Sound. We have found two portraits of the children, one in 1885 and the other 10 years later in 1895. The date of the photographs seem certain as the birtdates of the chikdren are known. We have some details on the children. The girls are dressed quite fashionably, the boys more plainly. All are well dressed. One boy in the 1885 portrait wears a rather old fashioned button-on outfit, that looks more suit for the 1870s. All three boys, by then youths, wear standard suits by 1895. the youngest girl wears a huge lace collar in 1895. We do not see that very commonly as lace/ruffled collars had become popular for boys.

Mid-1880s: Unidentified Family (New Hampshire)

Here we see two unidentified ladies and two children. The boy looks to be about 8 years old, The younger child is also a boy. We are guessing that this a family with mother and probably an aunt. Everyone is wearing their headwear for the portrait which is unusual. Usulally, adults do not wear their headwar for these portraits. Ladies' headwear can be quite decorative. The little boy wears a broad-brimmed hat. We are not entirely sure about the older boy's hat. The one lady is tightly corseted. The pose is interesting because we get to see what the back of a dress looks like. The younger child is wearing a caped dress, but we believe is probably a boy. The older boys weares a knee pants suit. The jacket has an unuual collar. He wears dark, but not black long stockings. The dealer thought the portrait might date to about 1885. We thouhgh it might be slightly earlier, largely because we see no hint of Fautleroy styling.

1886: Cocroft Family (New York)

HBC has obtained a photograph of the Cocroft family of Staten Island, New York. Mrs Cocroft has 10 children and has she looks rather young, more presumably followed. It is difficult figuring out who is who in her family. She describes the children as "born as close together as nature permits". Mrs. Cocroft appears to have been particularly parcial to white smocks, presunmably the laundry load was a factor here even if she had help. The family is a good example as to how large 19th century families could be.

1886: Middle-class Family (Unknown Location)

This photograph is dated 1886, but I am not sure how acurately. It looks more like the 1870s to me. Sailor suits became in the 1870s an increasingly important boys' fashion and were well established by the 1880s. Kneepants were also becoming widely worn by boys, but were not yet as commion in the ealy 1870s as they were to be in the 1880s and 1890s. Also notice the boy's long, but not shoulder length hair. A reader has helped date the image usung the outfits of his mother and sister.

1886: Rural Family (Texas)

We have a 1886 portrait of the Raymond Robert Hawkins family in Henderson County, Texas. We have no information about this family, but looks to us like a rural family of modest means. The wife has what looks like a plain, drab dress. The man wears a vest suit, but without any neckwear. The daughter wears a plain white dress, The boy looks to be about 6 years old. He wears what looks klike a plain shirt waist, kneepants and is barefoot.

1886: Homestead Family (Nebraska)

One of the most important photographer's of the final years of the American frontier was Solomon Butcher. He is particularly note for his photographs of homesteaders on the Great Planes. This photograph of the Sylvester Rawding sod house, north of Sargent in Custer County, Nebraska. Butcher took the photograph in 1886.

1888: Affluent City Family (New Hampshire)

We note a New Hampshirefamily that had their portrait taken in 1888. The parents look rather old, they may well be grand parents. There are two boys who look to be about 5 and 8 years old. The older boy has short hair and wears what looks like a light-colored kneepants suit. His younger brother has quite an elaborate ringlet curls hairdo is has not yet been breached. He wears a kilt suit outfit. We note two portraits from different New Hampshire cities, so wer not positive where theylived in New Hampshire.

1888-89: Unidentified Family (Minnesota)

This is a family cabinet card portrait taken about 1888-89. The portrait is not dated, but the back aludes to a 1887 medal award. We believe that most studio portraits were taken about the same time as the award. The early 90s is posible, but we doubt rthat it was many years after the medal. It is photograph of a young family--father, mother, and son. The boy looks about 3 years old and is wearing a dark knee length dress that was fashionable at the time with high dark shoes along with a ruffled collar. The man is seated and is wearing a dark suit and white shirt with bow tie and a watch chain on his vest with a fob. He is wearing a very large and very dark moustache. The woman is wearing a dark dress with an even darker collar and a brooch at her neck and an unusual hat. They are all formally posed. This cabinet portrait was taken by Schlattman Brothers in St. Paul, Minnesota.

1889: Rural Family (California)

Here we see the Rodgers Family. They are a young rural family from Cazadero California. It looks like they had their portrait taken on their front porch which means that it would have been done by an itinerate photographer. There are two infant children and two young boys who look to be about 5 and 7 years old. Both boys wear blouses or shirt waists with very plain collars. One bit has a small floppy bow. The boys wear rather long kneepants. Note the stockings. One boy has grey or some other light colored stockings. The other boy had striped stockings.

1889: Town Family (Missouri)

This is the large family of James Haddock Yates. The portrait was taken in Lincoln County, Missouri. The portrasit is notg precisely datexd, but was taken about 1889. There are several adults in the family. We do not know their relationship. There are five childen in the portrait. We believe a teenage girl and four boys. One of the boys is an infant. The older boys wears what looks like a keenpants suit with an Eton collar. The two middle boys wear white blouses, kneepants, and are barefoot. We know nothing about the family, but the fact that the two boys are barefott suggests to us that they lived in a small tiwn rather than a city.






HBC






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Created: 3:15 AM 12/7/2005
Last updated: 10:25 AM 12/6/2021