Figure 1.--Here we see a teenager in a cowboy outfit. This portrait is undated, but we would guess was taken in the 1890s. We do not see portraits of younger children in 19th century portraits wearing cowboy outfits. The portrait here was an oval-format portrait.

We see images of cowboys, often brandishing guns, in very early photographic images. We think that these were actual cowboys. We are not sure when Easterners and boys began dressing up as cowboys. We see some 19th century images, but the ones we have found are not dated. We think that some were taken in the 1890s, perhaps earlier. The earliest costumes we see seem to be for adults and older teens and not boys. They seem to be specifically for fun portraits or perhhaps costume parties. Some portrait studios may have had costumes. By the turn of the century we see cowboy costumes for boys. They were a standard for the mail order costumes offerings. For the first half of the 20th century, cowboy togs were a favorite for American boys. Here dome novels and movies and late radio and television were prime factors in popularizing cowboys. I certainly remember by cowboy boots and six-shooters from the 1950s. We notice complete costumes as well as individual garments. Not all boys had complete outfits. But most boys had some items. There were cowgirl outfits, but it was the cowboy outfits for boys that were bu far the most popular.

Created: 8:05 PM 11/20/2006
Last updated: 8:05 PM 11/20/2006