Fihure 1.--This photographic pin measures 7/8" and features a portrait of a young boy. The setting is gold over brass with an old "C" style clasp. It is probably an American boy, but I am unsure how to dateit. |
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We nother jewelry for mothers with rememerances of their children. Our information here is still quite limited. We notice minatures, especially in the 18th and early 19th century. We believe some were worn as jewelry, but are not positive about this. Some of the most common family-oriented jewelry were lockets. Such lockets might hold a lock of the child's hair, which is why they are called lockets. They also held minature painted portraits and after the develiopment of photography (1840s), photographic portraits. Children also wore lockets, but generally only younger boys. We note photographic pins in the late 19th century which were worn by mothers.
We notice minatures, especially in the 18th and early 19th century. Many artists specialized in minatures. Minatures were small paintings, often busts of family members such as marriage partners and children. Sizes varied, but some seem small enough to wear as jewlry. We believe some were worn as jewelry, but are not positive about this.
A pendant is a piece of jewlry held on a necklace or chain. Mothers often had minature portraits dine of their love ones such as husbands and children. I am not sure when European women began wearing these pendants. We suspect that they became popular in the 18th century, but this is just a guess at this time. They certainly were popular throughout the 19th century. After mid-century photographic pendants also appeared. Thus the paintings and photographs are another source of information on children's clothing. Pendants are similar to lockets, but they have only one face and do not lock shut.
Some of the most common family-oriented jewelry were lockets. We are not precisely sure why they are called lockets. One source tells us that since lockets might hold a lock of the child's hair that they became known as lockets. They also had two sides which closed so the contents could not be seen unless opened. They also held minature painted portraits and after the development of photography (1840s), photographic portraits. Children also wore lockets, but generally only younger boys.
We note pins in the late 19th century which were worn by mothers. Early 19th century pins were painted. We note some done on enamel. After the invention of photography the pins were also done with photographs. The image here is an example of a photographuc pin (figure 1). We assume that the boys pictured here are actual boys done as family keepsakes and not idealized boys for decoratrive purposes. Certainly this would be the case for the photographic pins, but we assume it would also be the case for the painted pins.
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