Figure 1.--These unidentified brothers were photographed in the early 20th century. We would guess about 1910. The boys look to be about 10 and 16 years of age.

We have noted boys of quite a wide age wearing kneepants. The age range waried from aboyt 3-19 years, although they were most common for boys about 5-15 year. The age range varied considerable over time and among countries. At first it was only younger boys wearing kneepants when they began to become popular inthe 1860s. We note quite old boys wearing kneepants at the turn of the 20th century and this contined through the early 1910s. Kneepants after World War I rapidly went out of style. We no longer see teenagers wearing them much in the early 1920s, although older boys were wearing knickers. We know more about the age that boys wore kneepants in America than other countries at this time. These unidentified brothers here were photographed in the early 20th century (figure 1). We would guess about 1910. The boys look to be about 10 and 16 years of age. A reader believes we are a little off on our age assessments. He writes, "I'm a bit skeptical about the ages of these boys. The older one looks to me as old a 17 or 18 and the younger one about 12. Weren't older boys still wearing knee pants at this time?" Yes some boys wore kneepants or knickers all through high school. Estimating agees is not a precise science. Our reader could well be correct about the ages here.

Age 3

We see a German boy, probably in the early 20s wearing button-on knee pants. He looks to be about 3 years old.

Age 4

We note a German boy, Kurt Mahlke, wearing a knee pants sailor suit. He was 4 years old.

Age 5

At first it was only younger boys wearing kneepants when they began to become popular in the 1860s. Younger boys were often not yet breeched. A composit photograph of an American boy, Dee Wilbank, shows him wearing a white knee pants suit in 1902. He was 5 years old. An American boy, William Dougherty, looks to be about 5 years old. He wears a fancy knee pants sailor suit. We note an American portrait from the Grimsley family about 1900. The boy looks to be aout 5 years old and wears a fancy knee pants outfit. A Canadian boy named McMaster weara a fancy blouse with white knee pants. He looks to be 5-6 years old. Another Canadian boy wears an elegany knee pants sailor suit in 1898. He looks to be about 5 years old. We note a 5-year old German boy, Heinz Gersich, wearing knee pants with a sailor tunic.

Age 6

Boys in many countries begin school at age 6 years. We see many boy in the late 19th and early 20th century attending school in a variety of knee pants out fit. This helps us determine the ages of the boys involved. The American Snyder brothers had their portrait in the 1890s. The older boy wears a knee pants suit. He looks to be about 6 years old. We see an American boy, Charles Spencer, wearing knee pants in 1900. n American boy, James Urnsby, wears a knee pants soldier play outfit in the 1910s. He looks to be about 7 years old. We note an unidentified German boy in 1927 wearing a tunic-like jacket with knee pants. Two Berlin brothers wear collar buttoning suits with knee pants about 1905. Another German school boy wears a kind of weater jacket with knee pants, lthough we are not sure about the date.

Age 7

A German school boy, Emil Brack from Augsburg wears a knee pants sailor suit for school in 1899. He looks to be about 7 years old. We see a Scottish boy named Morrison who wears a formal knee pants out fit about 1910. He looks to be about 7 years old.

Age 8

An American boy, Goddard White, was photographed Boston during March, 1897. He was 8 year, 9 months old and photographed with his violin. He wears a classic summer light-colored sailor suit, probably light blue. The suit was a kneepants sailor suit. Another Anerican boy, Warren Sonneman, wears a knee panrts suit in 1923. He was 8 years old. A Canadian boy mamed Molson in 1900 wears a white knee pants sailor suit in 1900. He looks to be about 8-9 years old. The English Nicholsdon brothers wear knee pants suits with Eton collass, probably in the 1870s. They look to be 8-9 yeaes old Another English boy, Maurice Carmichael Tweedie, was photographed wearing a knee pants sailor sit in 1878. He looks to be about 8 years old.

Age 9

We note a portait of the Canadian Armstrong children in 1898. The boy looks to be about 9 years old. He wears a fashionable dark knee pants suit.

Age 10

An American boy, Harry Gill, had his potrait taken with a banjo, probably in the 1890s. He wears an elegant knee pants suit with an Eton collar and floppy bow. He looks to be about 10 years old. Another American boy, Fred Arthur Rowe, was photographed in a smart knee pants suit during 1903. He looks to be about 10 years old. A Canadian boy. A. Balfour, looks to be about 10 years old. He wears a fancy blouse and knee pants. We note German school boys about 1905 wearing various knee pants outfits. They look to be about 10 years old.

Age 11

Usually in the available photographs the ages of the boys are not indicated and we have to estimate the ages. In some instances we have tthe actual age. We note an American boy who was 11 years old about 1890. Here we see a scene from an American home about 1900. The Spencer boys wear matching knee pants sailor suits. The older boy looks to be about 11 years old. We do know that an American boy was 11 years old when he had his porteait taken about 1890 in a fashionable knee pants suit. Another American bit, Frank Willcock, was photographed with his pug dogs about 1910 In a light-colored knee pants suit. He looks to be about 11 years old.

Age 12

A Canadian boy, E. Masson, wears a natty knee pants suit in 1897. He looks to be about 12 years old. We also note the Ross brothers in 1899. The younger brother is 12 years old and wears a smart knee pants suit. A German boy, Willie Horn, wears a nattly white sailor suit in a portrait with his little sister. He looks to be about 12 years old.

Age 13

We note an American school boy wearing a knee pants suit about 1895.

Age 14

We note a portrait of the Canadian Brown family in 1899. The boy looks to be 14-15 years old. He wears a smart knee pants suit.

Age 15

Age 16

These unidentified American brothers here were photographed in the early 20th century (figure 1). We would guess about 1910. The boys look to be about 10 and 16 years of age. A reader believes we are a little off on our age assessments. He writes, "I'm a bit skeptical about the ages of these boys. The older one looks to me as old a 17 or 18 and the younger one about 12. Weren't older boys still wearing knee pants at this time?" Yes some boys wore kneepants or knickers all through high school. Estimating agees is not a precise science. Our reader could well be correct about the ages here. We note a Canaian boy, Gustave Gagnon, who was 16 years old when he had his portrait taken.

Age 19

We note quite old boys wearing kneepants at the turn of the 20th century and this contined through the early 1910s. Boys in high school might wear knee pants and we see them offered in sizes up to 19 years in America. Kneepants after World War I rapidly went out of style. We no longer see teenagers wearing them much in the early 1920s, although older boys were wearing knickers. We know more about the age that boys wore kneepants in America than other countries at this time.