Vintage French Boy's Sailor Caps (1890s)


Figure 1.-- We have archived a saucer-type sailor cap. This was a popular style in the late-19th century based on actual naval uniforms at the time. It is a French sailor cap with. These caps commonly had tallies with the name of famous ships or regions. The cap here has a 'Normandie' tally.

Sailor-styled headwear was an especially important for children's fashions during the late-19th century and early-20th century. There were both hats and caps. We have archived a saucer-type sailor cap. This was a popular style in the late-19th century based on actual naval uniforms at the time. It is a French sailor cap with. These caps commonly had tallies with the name of famous ships or regions. The cap here has a Normandie tally. The caps are undated. We see two unidentified boys wearing the caps in a cabinet card. The style and card mount suggest the 1890s. This was a French cap, but the French ship tally is the only reason we know it was a French cap. Boys in many other countries wore the same style. Both boys and girls wore many sailor styles of sailor caps and hats. This cap style was primarily for boys. We are not sure just what ship the cap tally refers to, but there have neen some famous ships named Normandie.

The Cap

Sailor-styled headwear was an especially important for children's fashions during the late-19th century and early-20th century. There were both hats and caps. We have archived a saucer-type sailor cap. This was a popular style in the late-19th century based on actual naval uniforms at the time. It is a French sailor cap with. These caps commonly had tallies with the name of famous ships or regions. The cap here has a Normandie tally.

Chronology

The caps are undated. We see two unidentified boys wearing the caps in a cabinet card. The style and card mount suggest the 1890s.

Style

This was a French cap, but the French ship tally is the only reason we know it was a French cap. Boys in many other countries wore the same style. We refer to it as a sauce-style cap. It was a widely worn style.

Gender

Both boys and girls wore many sailor styles of sailor caps and hats. This cap style was primarily for boys.

Ship

We are not sure just what ship the cap tally refers to, but there have neen some famous ships named Normandie. The French Navy's Normandie was a famous early battleship. It was a sister ship to the La Gloire, the world's first ocean-going ironclad battleship. The Gloire class were designed by the French naval architect Dupuy de Lôme. Normandie was the third and last of the Glorie class. The problem with early ironclads was that they were very heavy and naval steam engines underpowered. The American Monitors at the time had to be towed. Normandie accomplished the first ironclad Atlantic crossing (1862). The French at the tome were helping to install Austrian Archduke Maximillian on a Mexican throne. Normandie's original guns proved to be unable to penrtrate armour. The gun battery was replaced with breech loaders (1868). Normandie was an ironclad, not a steel ship. Apperently poor quality timbers were used to construct her frame. She was removed from service (1871). This may have been too early for the tally here. Another famous Normandie may have been too late. This was France's best known ocean liner. The SS Normandie was the French French ocean liner built at great cost during the Depression for the French Line Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (CGT). It was built in in Saint-Nazaire, France and, When launched in 1932. She was a beautiful shio, the largest and fastest ship in the world. One source describes here as the most powerful steam turbo-electric propelled passenger ship ever built. The ship design and posh appointments. She is commonly on the list of the world's greatest liners. The Normandie appeared in the last phase of the era of trans-Atlsntic liners and the Depression adversely affected economic consditions. Thus CGT lost money and the Government had to subsidize oprtations. She completed 139 transatlantic crossings westbound from her home port of Le Havre to New York (but only 138 eastbound). After the German World War II occupation of France, the United States seized the liner which was in New York harbor. American authorities renamed it the USS Lafayette and began converting it into a troopship. Fast ships were need to move American troops through U-boat infested waters to Britain and the Mediterranean. While undergoing conversion, Normandie caught fire. Many authors believe that the Mob which was powerful on the waterfront was responsible. Efforts tp save her failed and she rolled over and sank. She was reloted at considerable expense, but it was finally decided not to restore her. She was scrapped after the War (1946).








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Created: 5:46 AM 6/28/2009
Last updated: 5:46 AM 6/28/2009