Figure 1.-- We see quite a number of English boys wearing Scottish kilts. The unidentified London boy is a good example. This appears to be to be style for the upper-class or affuent middle-class. We do not see working-class boys wearing kilts. The fact that we see quite a number of boys wearing kilts in the 19th century reflects the inherent social-class bias of the photograophic record, a phenomenon that was more pronounced in Europe than in America.

We believe English kilts were essentially a upper class and substantial middle-class garment. This was a different than Scotland. Traditionally it was Highlanders in Scotland that wore kilts. This was the poorer, less developed region of Scotland. The kilt was rarely seen in the Anglicized Lowlands. By the time that Victoria was crowned (1837) this had begun to change. She helped popularize Scotland in England, a process that had already begun. And after she began dressing the princes in kilts, we begin to see English boys wearing kilts. We see quite a number in the photographic record. This can, however, be misleading. The photographic record, especially in the 19th century is biased toward the affluent section of the population. Studio portrait cost money. Some could not afford the price, which tended to be higher than in America. For many it was a rare extravagance. For the well to do it was a marginal expense. Thus the well-to-do and the clothing they wore are over represented in the photographic record. And you can see that in the images, the boys involved tend to be very well dressed and presented. Unlike American images at the time, they tend to get the fashions just right. And the one thing was happening in Scotland, the kilt was becoming a fashion for the well-to-do or comfortable middle class. You do not see working-class boys wearing them, especially after mid-century. This is apparent in the school photography that was developed in the late-19th century. We see no kilts in English schools. Only images of well to do boys dressed up for studio portraits.

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Created: 6:08 PM 5/18/2023
Last updated: 6:08 PM 5/18/2023