Figure 1.--This unidentified American boy is looking after his baby brother very nicely. He wears bold striped socks with his knickers suit. It was a post card portrait with an undivided back. It is not dated. It looks to have been taken about 1910. Most post cards by the 1910s had divided backs. These striped long stockings were not very common in the 20th century.

Much of our information about patterened long stockings comes from the United States as we have a larger archive of American photographic images than any other country. These stripped long stockings seem especially common in the United states, especially during the 1870s. We have a page specifically on American patterned stockings. The fact that we have found more American examples seems primarily due to the fact that we have amich more substantial American archive. W are not sure yet about Canada. We have also noted them in Europe, although we do not yet have a good understanding as to how popular they were there. We think the smaller nunber of examples simply reflects our smaller European archive especially during the 19th century. Long stockings were widely worn in Germay and other northern European countries, but we have few examples of patterned long stockings. We think this is largely a function of our more limited archive, but it is possible that patterned stockings were less popular there. We have found some European examples. One good example is a French boy in the 1880s. Patterened knee socks were not nearly as common after the 1880s. As far as we can tell, this was a trend in Europe as well as America. Patterened long stockings never disappeaed entirely, either in America or Europe. We see some boys at an unidentified Czech school wore stripped long stockings in 1897. I think these were home knitted. The photographic record clearly shows examples of patterened stockings, but in all countries they were only a small portion of the long stockings worn. We do not yet have enough information to assess the popularity of specific patterns in individual countries. We have seen several German images. Long stockings were very common in Switzerland, generally following German trends. But at least in the 20th century, we rarely see patterened long stockings. A rare example is a Swiss girl in 1944. We suspect here that one factor here may have been cost. We do not see longstockings commonly in Asia, with two excetions, Japan and Korea. This seems to be a climatic issue. We do not see patterned long stockings in either country. We do, however, see patten tights after long stovkings disappeared.

America, North

Much of our information about patterened long stockings comes from the United States as we have a larger archive of American photographic images than any other country. These stripped long stockings seem especially common in the United states, especially during the 1870s. We have a page specifically on American patterned stockings. The fact that we have found more American examples seems primarily due to the fact that we have amich more substantial American archive. W are not sure yet about Canada.

Asia

We do not see longstockings commonly in Asia, with two excetions, Japan and Korea. This seems to be a climatic issue. We do not see patterned long stockings in either country. We do, however, see patten tights after long stovkings disappeared.

Europe

We have also noted them in Europe, although we do not yet have a good understanding as to how popular they were there. We think the smaller nunber of examples simply reflects our smaller European archive especially during the 19th century. Long stockings were widely worn in Germay and other northern European countries, but we have few examples of patterned long stockings. We think this is largely a function of our more limited archive, but it is possible that patterned stockings were less popular there. We have found some European examples. One good example is a French boy in the 1880s. Patterened knee socks were not nearly as common after the 1880s. As far as we can tell, this was a trend in Europe as well as America. Patterened long stockings never disappeaed entirely, either in America or Europe. We see some boys at an unidentified Czech school wore stripped long stockings in 1897. I think these were home knitted. The photographic record clearly shows examples of patterened stockings, but in all countries they were only a small portion of the long stockings worn. We do not yet have enough information to assess the popularity of specific patterns in individual countries. We have seen several German images. Long stockings were very common in Switzerland, generally following German trends. But at least in the 20th century, we rarely see patterened long stockings. A rare example is a Swiss girl in 1944. We suspect here that one factor here may have been cost.