Figure 1.--This little German boy was elegantly dressed for his first day of school. He wears an army type peaked cap with a sailorsuit. The sailorsuit has a rather fancy short jacket as well as a formal collar I have not commonly seen worn with sailor suits. He holds his gift cone ("Zckertute"). |
We do not have this boy's name. The image is undated, but we believe that it was taken in the 1930s, but the late 20s is also possible. He wears a Alpine had and lederhosen with the common "H" halter. He has a very large necktie--even though his collar is not buttoned. He has rolled up his sleeves. He has white kneesocks with tassles and high top hoes. Unlike many boys at the time, this boy does not seem to have received a gift cone ("Zckertute")--at leat he is not pictured with it. He does have a classic school satchel. One aspect of the portrait we do not understand is that there appears to be a cord hanging down from the boy's school satchel. Something appears to be hnging on it behind the boy. I'm not sure what it was, perhaps the boy's jacket.
We do not have this boy's name. He looks to be about 6 years old.
The image is undated, but we believe that it was taken in the 1930s, but the late 20s is also possible.
This boy wears a Bavarian outfit. Ths does not mean, however, tht he was actually from Bavaria.
This boy wears a Alpine had and lederhosen with the common "H" halter. He has a very large necktie--even though his collar is not buttoned. He has rolled up his sleeves. He has white kneesocks with tassles and high top hoes. Unlike many boys at the time, this boy does not seem to have received a gift cone ("Zckertute")--at leat he is not pictured with it. He does have a classic school satchel.
Figure 2.--After looking at what is hanging from the cord, it now looks to be two square dusting or erasing cloths. |
One aspect of the portrait we do not understand is that there appears to be a cord hanging down from the boy's school satchel. Something appears to be hnging on it behind the boy. I'm not sure what it was, we at first thought it might be his jacket. A HBC reader, however, points out that there appear to be two dusters for his slate board. A HBC reader commenting on our initial assessment writes, "Much is in the eye of the beholder. Let me tell you what my eyes think of that picture. The chair obviously is a dos-à-dos, the kind in which the
occupants sit back to back. The seat of the chair is seen to the right of the boys wrist and looks like a whitish kind of fabric from the seat of the chair (marked s on the pic). Above that is is the woodwork of the chair’s back (w). To the right is a lozenge that I’ve marked with a gray paintbrush (r). To me it looks like a kind of 'eraser’ (American : duster??) made of terry cloth. Underneath is is another lozenge with a checkered pattern, either lying on the edge of the seat or hanging from the string that’s passing behind the upper lozenge. What are they? Two rags, one wet, the other dry, at either end of the string? Or just one rag, hanging from a bow string and a piece of cloth (a shawl?) lying on the chair? There seems to be fringes on its right lower edge. I cannot make out any ‘substantial garment’ for if so its fabric would have to pass behind the boy’s back and there, in my opinion, are the woodwork, the seat and, just underneath it, a small horizontal bar being part of the chair’s framework. I wonder what you think of this. Perhaps the final solution will have to come from one of your German readers.
Yes I think you are absolutely correct. I had thought the different bits of colors behind the boy were part of a garment we see now the shape of two square clothes, held to the cord at a corner and that the other bits of different shades were actually part of the chair.
The chair obviously is a dos-à-dos, the kind in which the occupants sit back to back. A reader reports, "Incidently I’ve heard a dos-à-dos being referred to as a kissing chair but I cannot find this in any of my English dictionaries. Have you ever heard the term?." HNC has not heard this term. Somehow the term "mother-in-law chair", but I am not positive about this. A French reader wrires, "In French 'Dos-à-dos' means "back to back". This word can refer to a person or a thing
back to back; but also a large seat without back rest."
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