Figure 1.--This is an illustration from "Sunday at Home". (Sunday in many families was a comntemplative day in which the children would stay home after church and read or amuse themselves.) The illustrator is ???. The caption reads, "Then Puff was forced to part with the treasured two farthings". Puff is the children's younger brother. Note the back buttonng smock and bow at the back. His brothers wear Eton suits. Often these stories written for boys have realistic depictions of the opinions boy had about contemporary fashions. The interesting thing here is that the childres's clothes are very acurately drawn such as the boys' Eton suit. This is confirmed by the photographic record. We are less sure about the younger boy's smock. Click on the image for details on the story.

Collecting information, especially photographs, on smocks in England and other countries has proven complicated. We do not believe that the eisting photographic record acurately reflects the extent to which smocks were worn in 19th century English homes. This is because during the late 19th century, most photographs of the average family were formal studio portraits in which mothers usually dressed up their children. Amateur photography was not unknown before 1900, but the complications and cost resulted in a relatively small number of snapshots being taken. Very few mothers took their children to a photographic studio dressed in smocks, even though the children may have worn them at home. This changed in 1900 when George Eastman introduced the Kodak Brownie. Even so, snapshots inside the home were not common until well into the 1930s or really after World War II. By this time smocks were no commonly worn by English boys, or for that matter boys in other European countries. The one exception here was school smocks in France, Italy, and other countries. Thus drawings and illustrations have to be used rather than relying on photographs for the period before World War I. While useful, however, drawings are less definitive than photograhs. Some such as the book illustration here, may realisticall reflect how the smock was actually worn in English homes.

Accuracy

Collecting information, especially photographs, on smocks in England and other countries has proven complicated. We do not believe that the eisting photographic record acurately reflects the extent to which smocks were worn in 19th century English homes. This is because during the late 19th century, most photographs of the average family were formal studio portraits in which mothers usually dressed up their children. Amateur photography was not unknown before 1900, but the complications and cost resulted in a relatively small number of snapshots being taken. Very few mothers took their children to a photographic studio dressed in smocks, even though the children may have worn them at home. This changed in 1900 when George Eastman introduced the Kodak Brownie. Even so, snapshots inside the home were not common until well into the 1930s or really after World War II. By this time smocks were no commonly worn by English boys, or for that matter boys in other European countries. The one exception here was school smocks in France, Italy, and other countries.

Image Type

It is thus interesting to assess the different types of images in which smocks are depicted. One of the reasons that HBC archives not only photographs, but other imagery such as paintings, illustrations, commercial postcards, vintage clothing, and other sources. is to coprrect for any bias that result from just using one type of imagery. his is comparable to using a range of sorces when rsearching a historical topic.

Portraits

We notice very few portraits of English boys wearing smocks. Most 19h century poographs were of course stufio portraits. And as mother would have dressed thechildren upnfor a portrait, the resulting photographic record may not be an accurate reflection.

Snapshots

Illustrations

Thus drawings and illustrations have to be used rather than relying on photographs for the period before World War I. While useful, however, drawings are less definitive than photograhs. Some such as the book illustration here (figure 1), may realisticall reflect how the smock was actually worn in English homes. The interesting thing here is that the childres's clothes are very acurately drawn such as the boys' Eton suit. This is confirmed by the photographic record. We are less sure about the younger boy's smock. But it would seem very strange to accurately depict the older children and not the younger boy.

Paintings

Commercial postcards

Commnercial postcards are normally one of the least relaiable sources on comtemporary clothing. We note significant variatons between French post cards and familky snapshots. The postcards tend to show the children in much fancier outfits than commonly depicted in the photographic record. English post cards also show some variation, but not nearly as much as was the case in France. We note some English postcards showing younger boys wearing smocks. We tend to think that this may be an accurate depiction, at least for children from affluent families before World War I. We do not think it was common among the working class. This destinction, however, is not apparent in the postcards. There are not a lot of postcards of English boys wearing smocks. The relative prevalence of these cards may relect the popularity of smocks. In this case, commercial postcards may be a more accuaeate representation than the usually more accurate photographic record.

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Created: May 20, 2002
Last updated: September 12, 2002