Figure 1.--This press photo shows Mrs. Richard Tucker with her sons Richard and Sam. The boys look to be about 6-9 years old. They wear identical Eton lapelless blazers with Eton collars and neck ties.They wears the blazers with summery short pants, dark abkle socks and two bar closed-toe sandals. Mother is fashionanly dressed for a social register type outing on Long Island. .Long Island includes some toney bed room communities for New York City. This is useful information because it provides the social class background for Mrs. Tucker's and the boy's clothing. Boys from affluent families were more likely to wear short pants suits as well as sandals. Interestingly the boys' hair is done differently. Richard's hair is done in bangs, but not his little brother. Given they are dressed alike that is a little surprising.

This press photo shows Mrs. Richard Tucker with her sons Richard and Sam. The boys look to be about 6-9 years old. They wear identical Eton lapelless jackets with crisp white Eton collars and what may be school neck ties. The collars look to us like detachable collars, in part because of the size, but e are not entirely sure. We are not sure what color their suit jackets were, perhaps light blue. They are being worn like blazers here with summery short pants. Our guess is that they were part of a matching short pants suit. But mother has dressed them in white shorts, presumably as a summer touch. The boys also wear dark ankle socks and two bar closed-toe sandals. Mother is fashionanly dressed for a social outing in a summery white dress. Interestingly the boys' hair is done differently. Richard's hair is done in bangs, but not his little brother. Given they are dressed alike that is a little surprising. The press caption read, "At Greentree Fair: Mrs. Richard Tucker, with her sons, Richard at left and Sam at the annual Greetree Fair at the Manhasset, L.I. estate of Mrs. Payne Whitney, June 18th." 'Social register' is added as a tagline. L.I. means Long Island which includes some toney bedroom communities for New York City. Greetree Counyry Club was located across Long Island Sound from Manhasset. This is useful information because it provides the social class background for Mrs. Tucker's and the boy's clothing. Boys from affluent families were more likely to wear short pants suits as well as sandals. Short pants suits were not as uncommon in the 1930s as they would become, but there was a definite social class divide here. A reader writes, " If you notice the older son is holding a paddle with an elastic probably connected to a rubber ball. I remember them and I grew up about 30 years later. You could keep yourself busy. Also he is wearing quite scuffed English styled sandals with dark ankle socks. Notice the older boy has a skinned left knee. I often had shined knees at that age from my outdoor activities. I find it interesting that the younger boy is holding a baseball bat. He looks a little young to play baseball. The younger boy also has something in his right jacket pocket. Maybe glasses I am not certain." Another reader writes, " I gew up about 10 years later and do not recall seeing boys wearing sandals. Would not have wanted to wear them, but they would have been handy as it took for ever to learn how to tie my shoe strings. I recall that Mrs. Kennedy dressed John Jr. in sanbdals like the ones here." An English reader weites, :Standard English school sandals had only one bar. Some children had the double bar candals like the ones here, but they were mich less common than the one-bar sandals."

Created: 6:37 AM 11/3/2016
Last edited: 5:50 PM 11/3/2016