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The early-20th century is the first time that we note large numbers of First Communion portraits. We have found very few 19th century First Conmunion portraits. Catholic parents as best we can tell, rarely had First Communion portraits taken in the 19th century. We are not sure why we suddely begin seeing large numbers of First Communion portraits after the turn-of-the 20th century. We have found several portraits of American boys doing their First Communion that are dated and this provide us some insights into the early-20th century trends. Even without dates, we can usually establish the decade by assessing the fashions and mount styles. Knee pants suits were standard in the 1900s and this can be used to date the portraits. Suddenly we begin to see kicker suits at the end of the decade about 1908-09. Younger boys continued to wear knee pants with blouses, but suits very quickly became done mostly with knicker pants. Of course this is not absolute, but knee pants are a very strong indicator that portraits with the right mounts were made in the 1900s. The mounts are very helpful in differenting between the 1890s and 1900s. Cabinet card mounts changed significantly at the turn-of-the century. And post card back portraits appear for the first time in the 1900s. These portraits not only provides insights on First Communion styles, but on how boys were dressing up for other formal occassions as well. The increasing popularity of First Communion portraits is in part a new convention being established. A major factor, however, is the increasing integration and rising income of the European immigrants that flowed into the United States during the late-19h cenntury. There was a substantial cost associated with these portaits. It was not so much the cost of the portait itself, but the suits that boys tended to wear for their First Communions. Many of these immigrants came from largely Catholic southern Europe. As a result, the population of Catholic Americans increased substantially.
Here we see an unidentified brother and sister dressed up for their First Communion. They look to be about 8-10 years old. The boy wears a standard double-breasted suit without any adornment. The girl wears a standard white dress with a matching white hair bow. The dress hem is a little longer than common for her age, but the dress was not yet done as a junior wedding dress. She has some kind of corsage-like affair. The boy holds a missal, his sister may also have a New Testament. The dealer believes that the portrait was taken in the 1890s which is possible for the late-90s. We think the 1900s decade is more likely, in part because of the mount. This was the case atl least until the 1908-09 period when knickers first appeared. A change we do not fully understand. There is no information available on the portrait, except the portrait was taken at the Astoria Photo Studio on Long Island, New York. Long Island is a residential and recreational extension of New York City.
We do not have many 19th century First Communion portraits, but we begin to see more after the turn-of-he 20th century. This is a good example. We see a lot more in the 1910s, but clearly it was bcoming an established tradution to take studio First Communion portraits. The dark greyish green cabinet card mount helps date this First Communion portrait to the early 1900s decade, probably about 1903 or so. It was a large-sized cabinet card, 8" x 6". But the actual image is only about the same size as those on a standard classic cabinet card. There was just a lot more card, not more photograph. We believe the First Communion boy is the younger boy bcause he is holding the candle. He wears a fancy Fauntleroy blouse, but does not have a jacket. The blouse is unusual in the way the collar stands out. Large collars are not unusual, standing out like this was. It is difficult to make out, but he aklso has a large white floppy bow. His brother seems to be there just to back him up. He has a single breasted jacket worn with a small bow tie. Boh boys wear the same knee pants and black long stockings. Their hair is also done identically, sort of a slightly off center, center part. The studio was Schreiber in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
This is typical of many of the First Communion portraits we begin to see with the turn-of-the 20th century (figure 1). The mount style suggests it was taken in the 1900s decade, probably about 1905. Knee pants were still standard for American boys in the 1900s. We are not sure, but we think only the younger noy in the blouse is doing his First Communion. The other boy is probably his older brother. We note similar brother portraits in the 1900s. The background here has a European look to us, but we have no actual information on the boys. We might guess Polish-Americans, but that is only a guess.
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