Postcards: Child Models


Figure 1.--Here is a British boy that appeared on many pre-World War I postcards. You would assume that he must have been a professional model. Click on the image to see another card with the same boy. Images courtesy of the MD collection.

The question arises as to who the children in the postcards are. Here we do not have a great deal of information. Some may be casual subjects while others may be professionals. A French reader tells us that he and his brother in the late 1940s were used as models for a few shoots. He indicates that often the parents of the children did not receive monetary compensation, but rather copies of the portraits taken. We do not know how common this was. We do note in the early 20th century that some children repeatedly appear in posrcards. This is not only in a series shot on the same theme, but in postcards shot on different occassions and for different companies. These children do appear to have been professiional models. This is important because to the extent that professional models are used, it is likely that the hair styles and clothing would have been dome specially, rather like models in fashion magazines and thus not a potentially accurate depiction of comtemprary clothing and hair styles. A British reader writes, "The boy on the postcard must have been a popular model as I have many cards from different publishers and countries which feature him. Most of them, however, are British, so he must be a British boy."

The Children

The question arises as to who the children in the postcards are. Here we do not have a great deal of information. A French reader tells us that he and his brother in the late 1940s were used as models for a few shoots. He indicates that often the parents of the children did not receive monetary compensation, but rather copies of the portraits taken. We do not know how common this was. We do note in the early 20th century that some children repeatedly appear in posrcards. This is not only in a series shot on the same theme, but in postcards shot on different occassions and for different companies. These children do appear to have been professional models. A reader tells us, "I have a friend who is in the printing industry and the friend's sons were used as models for pictures just because they knew someone and the person making picture frames needed a picture to insert in the frame to sell it. The children were not paid, they got to keep a picture and the frame seller sold it to Wal Mart etc. Apparently, this method of using child models is well established. Maybe it was also used for Postcards."

Importance

This is important because to the extent that professional models are used, it is likely that the hair styles and clothing would have been dome specially, rather like models in fashion magazines and thus not a potentially accurate depiction of comtemprary clothing and hair styles.

Popular Subjects

Some of the children involved appear to have been very pipular with the postcard companies and or the phoyographers. Here we see a British boy that appeared on may postcards. A British reader writes, "The boy on the postcard must have been a popular model as I have many cards from different publishers and countries which feature him. Most of them, however, are British, so he must be a British boy."






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Created: 3:49 PM 9/12/04
Last updated: 7:02 AM 3/22/2005