Figure 1.--Family images help to put the boys' fashions that we focus on in HBC in the context of the larger picture. Here a boy in 1863 wears a single-breasted suit with long pnts. Notice the piping. His mother weaes a voluminous hoopskirt dress. Even in the 19th century there were small families. This often was because of medical families or problens in the msrriage. We thought the CDV was American, but are not positive. The writing on the back my be French. Put your coursor on the image to see the back. A reader writes, "I had a go, but the back is marked by damp making a lot of the script unreadable.I think it is not French, otherwise I think it would read 'dans 20 Septembre' The French use 'ieme' as a an abreivation for 'th' eg 20ieme Siecle, but omit it when writing days of the month, I believe."

We have begun to archive information on the 19th century for the larger countries. The most prounounced chronological trend is the shrinking size of the family. After the Napoleonic Wars, the industrial Revolution gradually spread from Britain to the Continent and the United States. Relatively few countries industrialized in the 19th century, primarily America, Britain, France, and Germany, but their were notable pockets of industry in other countries, such as Bohemia in the ustro-Hungarian Empire and northern Italy. And Russia by the end of the century was growing very rapidly. In America, the urban population did not reach 50 percent unyil the tutn-of-the century. Large families were valuable in urban areas. They provided the hands needed to farm. Not all 19th century families were large, but many were, especially rural families. We can see these trends most clearly in America because of our large photographoic record. Notably the family did not react immediately to demographic shifts. This we see family sizes only gradually declining with the shift toward urban life. Industriaslization was not the only contributing factor. Religion was another factor. Thus we see larger families in Catholic southern Europe than Protestant northern Europe. Family size is not the only factor at play. The strength of the family is another interesting trend, but one that can not be as easily followed through the photographic record.

America

We have collected a range of American families images during the 19th century. They provide a range of insights on fashions, family relationshiops, size, social class, The number of images are rather limited for the early-19th century, toys, and home furnishings. Images of early-19th century American families are mostly affluent families swhich could afford to have a portrait painted. There were not very many trained artists in America so the impages we have are mostly nive art. Some are very detailed and not only provide color, but were for the most part done in the home and thus privide fascinating home views. With the development of photography in the 180s, we begin to see many more images of American families by the mid-19th century. Unfortunately we lose color and home vies because photigraohic studios weee generally done in studios. Photogography greatly expanded the societal view. They enabled even humble families to have their portraits taken. Most 19th century images, however are very formal views of the American family. Snap shots begin to appear in the 1890s, but amateur photography was still relatively complicated and expensive and early informal snapshots are generally of affluent families.

China

England

We note some large families in the 19th century. Not all families were large, but a number of children seemed the Victorian ideal. Younger boys throughout the 19th century wore dresses. Pattaletts were common. The age of breaching varied from family to family. Here social class was a factor. Boys in the early 19th century wore long pants skeleton suits. Tunics were also worn. Long pants contiued to be standard for boys until after mid-century. Gradually kneepants and knickers became more common. Wenote Eton collars becoming increasingly common by mid-century. Sailor suits became fashionable in the late 19th century, both boys and girls wore them. Girls wore dresses throughout the 19th century and the family photographs help to understand the changes over time.

France

Family images are wondefful ways of assessing fashion trends because they show prople of different ages and genders. This is particulasrly important because France was such an important country in setting fashion trends during the 19th century. This was particiularly true of women's fashions, but the French also influenced children's fashions. We have only a few images of French families in the 19th century and can not yet make any real assessment. Our French 19th century archive is still very limited, but we have a few family images from the second half of the 19th century. We are gradually expanding our archive of 19th century French imasges, but it will be some time before we have an adedquate family section. This section provides a useful way of comparing French fashion to those in different countries chronologically.

Germany

We have little information on German families during the early 19th century. With the invention of photography, much more information becomes available on the second half of the 19th century. We are just beginning to archive the 19th century family pages we have found and begin to assess the paterns illustrated by the photographs. Througout the decade younger boys wore dresses. This varied greatly from family to family. At mid-century we see men in frock coats and women in voluminous dresses. Boys has longish over the ears hair and wore tunic suits. Girls wore dress with pinafores. Gradually as the century progressed. boys began to wear their hair cropped. Younger boys still wore dresses. We still boys wearing belted tunics in the 1890s, but the cut-away jackets were no longer very common. The sailor suit had become san important style in Germany by the 1890s. Boys more commonly wore kneepants. Younger boys commonly wore shrt-cropped hair. Girls dresses had tight neck collars.

Italy

Japan

Russia

Created: 6:23 AM 7/16/2012
Last updated: 8:00 PM 7/16/2012