Figure 1.--This was a studio produced English postcard in the early-20th century. The boy had blond ringlet curls done in a right part. We are not yet sure just how to assess these postcard images. Image courtesy if the MD collection.

One of the most reliable gender indicator is that girls generally had center parts and boys side parts. This appears to have been a general American and European convention. We suspect this is because center parts were a way of dealing with long hair. Commonly boys, ven young boys with long hair and wearing skirted garments usually had side parts. A good example is an unidentified Frome family in the 1860s. The great majority of English boys appear to have parted their hair on the left during the 20th century. We assume that the principal factor here is that right-handed people can more easily comb a left part on themselves and most people are right handed. Of course younger boys generally have their hair combed by mother. Thus more younger boys than older boys had right parts (figure 1). We are not sure to what extent this is an accepted convention or an optional matter of convenience. The great majority of English photographic images we have noted in which parts are destinct, show boys with left parts, although center parts were often common during certain periods. Many younger boys at the turn of the 20th century wore bangs and the parts are thus not very apparent. The image here is a good example of long hair with a right part. Obviously mother wouldhavedome the combing and hair parting. We are not entirely sure about 19th century trends. We note two unidentified London teenagers with right parts in the 1850s. Conventions seem more standardized in the 20th century. When a part is apparent, it very commonly is a right part for girls and a left part for boys. Right parts are much less common for boys. I am not sure when this convention developed, but it seems rather commonly excepted at least by the turn of the 20th century.

Center Parts

One of the most reliable gender indicators in 19tyh century photograohs is that girls generally had center parts and boys side parts. this is important because so many younger boys wore skirted garments and had long hair styles. Identifying the girks is not so difficult. hile many had short hair, girls did not wear pants. Center pars are not fool proof inducators, but they are highly correlatedwith gender. Not all girls had center parts, but it was very common for girls. This appears to have been a general American and European convention. We suspect this is because center parts were a way of dealing with long hair and girls more commonly had long hair. Most old portraits do not identify the children, but those we have found that do, confirm that center parts were commonly used for girls. We have seen boys with center parts when it became somehing of short-termed fad aduring certain periods, but in these instances we are generally talking about older boys and it is obviously that they are boys We see very few boys that mother had combed center parts in the photographic record.

Side Parts

Commonly boys, even young boys with long hair and wearing skirted garments usually had side parts. For the instances where the children are identified thiswasgenerlly the case. A good example is an unidentified Frome family in the 1860s. The great majority of English boys appear to have parted their hair on the left during the 19th and 20th century. We are less sure about 19th century trends. We note two unidentified London teenagers with right parts in the 1850s. We assume that the principal factor here is that right-handed people can more easily comb a left part on themselves and most people are right handed. The London boys of course were old enough to comb their own hair. Younger boys generally have their hair combed by mother. The image here is a good example of long hair with a right part. Obviously mother would have done the combing and hair parting. Thus more younger boys than older boys had right parts (figure 1). We are not sure to what extent this is an accepted convention or an optional matter of convenience. The great majority of English photographic images we have noted in which parts are destinct, show boys with left parts. Conventions seem more standardized in the 20th century. When a part is apparent, it very commonly is a right part for girls and a left part for boys. Weare notsurewhyfirlsmay havehadright parts. This is a subject we are still investigating. Right parts are much less common for boys. We are not sure when this convention developed, but it seems rather commonly excepted at least by the turn of the 20th century.

Bangs

Many younger boys at the turn of the 20th century wore bangs or fringes as they are called in Britain. Thus creates a problem with our fashion assessments. Most photigraphs are taken from the front. And bangs cover up where parts are formed at the front. And this the parts in portraits are not very apparent. Sometimes you can just make out the hair part, but often this is not possible. The parts reappear at the crown or sides, but of course it is the front of the subject.

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Created: January 21, 2003
Last edited: 2:37 PM 7/11/2023