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American girls' clothing fashion costume activitiey
American Girls' Clothing: Activities
Figure 1.--Religion was one area in whivh women were especially active. Voth bots and girls did First Communion. This unidentifird New York girl looks to be doing her First Comminionm although we are not entirely sure. She looks older than most girls doing First Communion. She wears a the white junior wedding dress commonly worn for First Comuinion. She also has a huge haor bow--very popular in the 1910s. Notice the gurl's high-tip shoes. The cabinet-card is undated, but the clothing and mount style suggest the 1910s. The photographer was the Schlossberg Studio in New York City.
Girls until well into the 20th century had much more limited activities than boys. Girls were expected to stay home and ham much less fredom rthan boys. And their actives were far more curcumscribed than boy. Olysicala mctivity in particulat were much more limited. Even education was more limyed than that of boys. Girls did not engage in sport to any extent. Here many girls were not interested. And the attitide of most parents was that such ohyical activity was not appropriate fir girls, Domestic activities werre srressed for girls like sewing, cooking, and nouse keeoing. Girls olay and toys tended to be different than those of the boys, although there was spme overlap, most with younger boys. Girls did learn musical instruments, but mostly for domestic actibities. Performing in public waa not coinsidered aporioriate until well into the 20th century. It was rather controversial after the Boy Scouts was fonded as to if a girls program was apprioriate. The Girl Scouts were fonded (1912), but with a dufferent program than the boys. One area where girls were involbed was relgion. Generally speraking women did play a major role in religion, but not in leadershio roles. As a result girls were also active in relgious activities.
