Figure 1.--Here we have a free-standing illustration (no artist's name given) but part of an article on the end of the school year all over the country and the children looking forward to the summer vacation. The article contains nothing about clothing. But the illustration provides an interesting glimse of the younger children at school. Click on the image to see more of the children.

Here we have a free-standing illustration (no artist's name given) but part of an article on the end of the school year all over the country and the children looking forward to the summer vacation. The article contains nothing about clothing. But the illustration provides an interesting glimse of the younger children at school.

The Youths' Companions

The Youth's Companion had fascinating articles and illustrations about contemporary domestic life. Here we see an illustration of the domestic ruitual of breaching. It is is a very informative illustration of the custom of fitting a boy for his first trousers--the process known as "breeching". This is an informative illustration from The Youth's Companion (June 23, 1904, p. 309) entitled "The Last Day of School."

Illustration

The illustration here shows how school children were typically dressed for a late spring day in June, 1904, when schools were letting out for the summer. The variety of dress is interesting and probably reflects fairly accurately what boys and girls were wearing in the first or second grade in 1904. Notice that all the children (with the exception of a single girl) wear long black stockings--the nearly universal way of covering the legs of boys and girls early in the 20th century in America. Note the variety of sailor styles for both boys and girls with the wide collars and the neckerchiefs. One boy wears a striped tunic suit with above-the-knee knickers. Another boy wears a bloused top and above-the-knee knickers. Still a third boy wears a Norfolk-style suit with knee pants, an Eton style collar, and a floppy polka dot bow tie. All the children are more formally dressed for the first or second grade than would be true a century later. These children as it is at the end of the schoo year are presumably about 7 years old.

Illustration Accuracy

Clearly more care has to be taken about accuracy when using illustrations rather than photographs. That is not to say that they are not useful. Often they can depict scenes that are hard to find in photographic images. The most useful illustrations are of course contemprary illustrations like the one here. Although idealized, these are accurate depictions of what the yonger children like First Graders wore to school.

Created: 6:54 PM 1/16/2005
Last updated: 6:54 PM 1/16/2005