Figure 1.--lThis Daguerreotype portrait shows an imaculsately dressed boy. It is undated, but we believe it may have been taken in the 1840s. (We do not know how to definatvely deferentiate between 1840s and 50s Dags.) The boy here wears a smartly fitted, pinched waist jacket and patterned stock. The pinched waist was a popular 1830s styles and stull seen in the early-40s. It is difficult to assess the length of the jacket. We think he is wearing a vest (waistcoat), but it is mostly covered by the jacket. A boy dressed like this would have come from a well-to-do family. Unfortunately we can;t see what type of pants he is wearing.

The Daguererrotyoe was invented in France (1839). It was an immediare censation in Aamerica. By 1840-41 we begin to see the first photographic studios opening in the larger cities. There are relatively few early Dags as the industry was just getting started, but the number of stuidios and portraits taken very quickly increased. The industry quickly soread in America because peoople opening studios simplyb ignored international patent laws. Our confirmed images from the 1840s are very limited, but we are gradually expanding our archive. Photography had been invented, but portraits were expensive and the number of children's portraits are relatively small. Still Daguerreotypes gained great popularity and there were many more portraits taken than had been painted earlier. Our major problem is that while Daguerreotypes appeared in the 1940s we can not reliably differentiate between thise taken in the 1840s and 50s. Almost all photographic portraits taken in the 40s were Dags. By the mid-50s, however, we begin to see Ambros and tin-plates. Only Dags were taken in the 40s so if the portrait is a an Anbro or tin-tyoe, it had to be taken in the 1850s or later. Suits were not as common in the 1840s as they were by the 1860s Civil War period. We think economic was a factor here. And we notice quite a range of different jackets. The boy on the previous page wears a very short jacket that looks like the skelton suit jackets still worn through the 1830s. We also note very long jackets and lengths in between. This mid- to late- 1840s sixth plate Daguerreotype potrait shows a boy wearing a very short dark jacket and light-colored pants. Our images from the 1840s are very limited. Photography had been invented, but portraits were expensive and the number of children's portraits are relatively small. Still Daguerreotypes gained great popularity and there were more portraits taken than had been painted earlier. Of course we still have traditional sources of information, especially paintings and fashion magazines. We notice suits with short jackets and often contrasting pants in the 1840s. At this time younger boys began wearing fancy suits, often heavily embroidered jackets. The standard for men was the somber frock coat. Not many boys wire frock cots, but we do see teenagers wearing them. A good example is Clarence E. Summer, we think in the 1840s. A major problem here is that we are not yet able to descriminate between Daguerreotypes taken in the 1840s and 50s. This makes it very difficult to assess the styles of the suits worn in the two decades. The sewing machine invented (1846). It was not widely used, however, until the late-1860s. This men that suits in the 1840s continued to be hand made. We see boys wearing shirt-like garments and tunics. Suits were still relatively expensive and thus not as widely worn as later in the century. We notice boys wearing short jackets with military styling, although we are not sure precisely when this became stylish. Boys at At about 12 years of age began wearing vests (waistcoats) with stiff collars and cravats like adult men.

Photographic Types

The Daguererrotype was invented in France (1839). It was an immediare censation in Aamerica. By 1840-41 we begin to see the first photographic studios opening in the larger cities. There are relatively few early Dags as the industry was just getting started, but the number of stuidios and portraits taken very quickly increased. The industry quickly soread in America because peoople opening studios simplyb ignored international patent laws. Our confirmed images from the 1840s are very limited, but we are gradually expanding our archive. Photography had been invented, but portraits were expensive and the number of children's portraits are relatively small. Still Daguerreotypes gained great popularity and there were many more portraits taken than had been painted earlier. Our major problem is that while Daguerreotypes appeared in the 1940s we can not reliably differentiate between thise taken in the 1840s and 50s. Almost all photographic portraits taken in the 40s were Dags. By the mid-50s, however, we begin to see Ambros and tin-plates. Only Dags were taken in the 40s so if the portrait is a an Anbro or tin-tyoe, it had to be taken in the 1850s or later. The originals are simple to identify, buy when we just have the images itvis more complicated. taken in the 1840s .(Some but far fewer were taken in the early-60s.) One dead give away is the narrowed waist jacket seen here (figure 1). One helpful but not definiyive indicator is matching jackets and trousers. Thus was not very commion in the 1840s, but in the 1850s we begin to see this concention being afopted. We will try to to assess the decade, but would be pleased if readers have abythiughts as to the correct decade. Of course we still have traditional sources of information, especially paintings and fashion magazines.

Younger Boys

Both boys ahnd girlswore similar dresses until about 4-5 years of age. The precise age of breeching varied from family to family. Once younger boys were n\breeched they wore shirts which buttoned on to ankle-length pahnts. We see this very clearly in the Daguerreotyoes. The buttons on the shirts could could be lowered as the boys grew taller. We see very few boys wearing what muight be called suits with jackets.

Suits

Suits were not as common in the 1840s as they were by the 1860s Civil War period. We think economic was a factor here. And we notice quite a range of different jackets. The boy here wers a long jacket (figure 1).

Jackets

The boy on the previous chronology page wears a very short jecket that looks like the skelton suit jackets still worn through the 1830s. This mid- to late- 1840s sixth plate Daguerreotype potrait shows a boy wearing a very short dark jacket and light-colored pants. We also note very long jackets and lengths in between. We see boys wering suits beginning about age 10 years. This varied somwehat, largely by social class. Boys from well-todo families might begin to wear suits earlier than boys from working-class families. Jacket styles seem highly varied. A factior here is that readt-made clothes were not yet commonly. Most jackets were sewn one at a time. This gives rise to more diversity than is the case of ready-made jackets. We notice suits with short jackets and often contrasting pants in the 1840s. At this time younger boys began wearing fancy suits, often heavily embroidered jackets. The standard for men was the somber frock coat. Not many boys wore frock cots, but we do see teenagers wearing them. We notice boys wearing short jackets with military styling, although we are not sure precisely when this became stylish. The Mexican War (1854-56) was fought during the 1840s, we believe that the short military-style collar buttoning jacket was a popular style for boys after the War. Men abnd boys fashions are often affected by miklitary styling, especially after a War. We notice jacket there were smatly tailored like the one the boy here is wearing. We also notice rather poorly fitted jackets. The cost of jackes abnd tiloring is presumably a factor here. The lapels and button arrangements varied. We note both small and large lapels. We note many younger boys photographed wearing blouses and tunics ratherthan suit jackets in the 1840s. In contrast we mostly see boys wearing jackets by the 1860s. We are not ebtirely sure whu thre was such a difference, The difficulty of sewing jackets at home, the cost of purchasing jckets, and the generally low incomes of Americans before the industrial expansion at mid-century, especially with the Civil War (1861-65).

Collars and Neckwear

We note boys wearing stiff collars and cravats like adult men. The collars do not seem very prominent, but the meckwear usually is. Moys wearing suits almost always had neckwear. Socks were very common. We notice bother plain and pattern stocks. Black stocks were common, but there were also colored ones. Notice the colored stock the boy hereis wearing.

Vests

We are not enirely sure a bout age trends. One sourcde suggest that boys at At about 12 years of age began wearing vests (waistcoats). We are not sure that there such destiunct tinme lines . Boys were beeched art about 5 years of age. After that they might wear tunivs. Some parenrs might skip the tunic stahe altogether. Ww note boys swearing suits by 10 yers of age with suits. This orobabalky iccurred eralier. Vests do not seem nearly as common as they later became for men or boys. We note plain and fancy vests. A major problem here is that we are not yet able to descriminate between Daguerreotypes taken in the 1840s and 50s. This makes it very difficult to assess the styles of the suits worn in the two decades. A good example is Clarence E. Summer, we think in the 1840s. The vestrs seem highly variable. We note some vests that natch the jacket. Others varied with different cilors as well as patterns. The photigraphic record mostly shoes boys wering vests as part of suits. Of course that was studio photography. We do not know to what extent boys wore these vests withiout their jackets. We know they did not do so to any exebt for stusio portaits, but whether they dis so to any extent in actual everday life is another issue.

Pants

We note boys wearing suit trousers that matched their jackets as well as pants that contrasted with the juckets. All the rousers we have found worn with suits seem to be long pants. Unfortunately many of the poses like the one here provide images in which the pants are not very clearly deoicted.

Sewing Machines

The sewing machine invented (1846). It was not widely used, however, until the late-1860s. This affected clothing manufacturing. Clothes in the 1840s were commonly sewn at home or in millenaries if the family could ford it. This meant that suits in the 1840s continued to be mostly hand made. We see boys wearing shirt-like garments and tunics. Suits were still relatively expensive and thus not as widely worn as later in the century.

Created: 10:09 PM 1/21/2010
Last updated: 6:35 AM 7/14/2023