Figure 1.--This snapshot was probably taken in the 1920s, we think in Scotland. The boy was probably home from school on his summer vacation. Mother probably wanted a photograph of him dressed in his school uniform. Notice the Eton suit and mortarboard cap. Several schools had Eton suit uniforms. The mortar board was less common. His sister holds a wonderful period teddy bear. The boy even when younger at the time would not have dared take a teddy to school.

We have very limited country informtion at this time. We note mortarboards being worn by university faculty in many countries, especially Europe and North America, reflecting the medieval university origins. It is primarily in Englnd that we see students and school masters wearing these caps and gowns. We have note them being worn at both preptatory schools and public schools as well. We believe they were also worn at some grammar schools, but mostly by the faculty. We are not sure abour earlier periods, but we think students and masters mostly commonly wore mortarboards in the 19th century. They were still worn in England in the early 20th century, but gradually were phased out after Workld War I (1914-18). They are still wirn at a few choir schools. We bote mortarboards in the United States, primsrily as formal university functions and at highschool and university graduations.

England

It is primarily in Englnd that we see students and school masters wearing these caps and gowns. We have note them being worn at both preptatory schools and public schools as well. We believe they were also worn at some grammar schools, but mostly by the faculty. We are not sure abour earlier periods, but we think students and masters mostly commonly wore mortarboards in the 19th century. They were still worn in England in the early 20th century, but gradually were phased out after Workld War I (1914-18). They are still worn at a few choir schools. Choir schools in England tend to be traditional schools. Most are operated by the Anglican Church.

Scotland

We believe that unibersity faculty wore mortarboards in Scotland. We do not yet know of any schools where the students wore mortarboards. That does not mean thst there were no such schools, we just do not know of any. Some Scottish boys, hoswever, attended schools in Englsnd where mortarboards were worn. The boy here seems to be one such example (figure 1).

United States

We bote mortarboards in the United States, primasrily as formal university functions and at highschool and university graduations. The caps and gowmswere primarilt black. We note that in the 1960s, some schools began to use colored caps and gowns, often in the school colors. Also some schools began to use different colors for boys and girls. At the university level there is a complicated scheme for tassel colors. We do not know of any schools wehere the students wore mortar boards. There is one other interesting usage of motarboards. We notice younger American boys, mostly pre-school boys wearing motarboards with fancy Little Lord Fauntleroy suits during the late-19th century. These suits were worn with a variety of headwear. The motarboard was only one of the headwear styles worn, but we see quite a number of examples. We are not sure as to the origins of this fashion.

Wales

Welsh fashions, including schoolwear, by the 19th century were virtually indestinguishable to those wirn in England. This includes bith the fashions worn in state schools as well as the uniforms worn at public schools. Thus we not mortarboard hats worn at private schools in the late 19th century just as they were worn in England. We believecthe style and chronology are just the same as at English schools.

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Created: 2:53 AM 8/24/2008
Last updated: 10:14 PM 8/24/2014