Figure 1.--Some images are easy to identify. his child's short hair clearly identifies him as a boy in a Degerotype probably taken in the 1850s or early 1860s. He wears a dress with a colored sash. Note the distinctice side part, an important gender inducator.

Hair styles varied greatly during the 19th century. Generally the best cue to a difficult image of a child in dresses is their hair style. Some times even obviously boyish lokking children with short hair turn out to be girls. Thus while hair styles can be a useful indicator, it is no infalible indicator.

Hair Length

Early 19th century

Short hair was very common for boys in the early and mid-19th Century. Even younger boys often had short hair in the early and mid 19th Century. While short hair is a good indicator, it is not clearly not absolute proof. Mothers even in the early 19th Century might choose long hair and curls for their sons, in some cases even on boys as old as 11 or 12 years. Likewise while long hair was prised on girls, some girls wore their hair short.

Mid-19th century

There are many images on HBC that are very difficult to assess. Long haired children in dresses may well be boys and short haored children may be girls. Here the stuatiin is helped somewhat because while boys may wear dresses, girls would not wear boys' clothes. One image that we have diificultly with is a California school about 1860.

Figure 2.--Surely the older child is a girl. ddespite the front buttons. But what about her younger sibling. We might have said the short hair suggested a boy--but the hair is similar to the older child who must be a girl. Note the part. It is slightly to the side. This makes us think the chikd may be a boy, but uitbis nit a orounounced sude part. HBC believes this image was probably taken in the 1860s.

Late 19th century

Hair styles changed in the late 19th Century. Long hairs, even ringlet curls, for boys became highly fasionable. Boys up to 8 years might commonly wear long ringlet curls, an even older boys sometimes wore them. It is likely that a child with very short hair cut away from the ears is probably a boy. There is, however, no certainty here. Many girls also had short hair, especially in the late 19th Century. One important point. Boys sometimes had some quite severe short hair cut, but this would be very rare, but not unknown, on girls. Thus particularly short hair cuts are a strong indication the child is a boy.

Factors

Fashion was a major consideration here. Children from fashionable, affluent fanililies were the most likely to have long hair, especially the boys. Hair length was, however, not just a matter of fashion. Long hair meant more work for the mother. Thus well off families wih servants were the most likely to choose long hair for their children. Social class was thus another factor. Working-class mothers had neither the time or money for fashionable non-essentials. Thus American mothers might use a bowl and chop off all the hair that was not covered by the bowl. German mothers often did not bother with the bowl and close-cropped the boy's entire head. Another factor was personal hygene. People in the 19th century generally did not have running water in the home, let alone hot water. Even by the late 19th century, one single bath per week was the norm--usuallyon saturdat night. As a result, head lice was a problem, especially with school age children. A reader writes, "I have noted many old photographs of girls with short hair. Unfortunately we do not know in most cases just why. Long hair was much more common. Possibly, hair lice was a factor. I know that cjildren had their hair cut off to get rid of the lice infestation. I don't think they had good hair lice remedies back then. I remember reading a biography of a boy who said that he and his childhood friend had long hair. He did not want a haircut because the only barber was his Mother who cut the boys hair by putting a large bowl on their heard and cut away what was not under the bowl. He preferred his long hair to this. However, when he was eight or nine he got head lice. His Mother first treated it at first by pouring kerosene on his head, which did not work. Finally, all his hair was cut off to get rid of the lice. When it grew back out, he was subject to his Mother's haircutting."

Parts

One useful indicator is the part. Boys wearing short hair in the 19th Century would be likely to have side parts. Center parts became popular for boys after the turn of the century, but the 19th Century style was a side part. Girls in the 19th Century, however, very commonly wore center parts--often with long hair.

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Created: January 17, 2000
Last updated: 5:49 PM 4/19/2023