Figure 1.--This unidentified group is about to have a race in a backyard. Given the fact the boys are dressed up and we don't see any girls, we would guess it was a birthday party. They are school age boys, about 7-9 years old. Apparently the girls in their class were no invited or at least not included in the game. The photograoh is undated, but we would guess was taken in the 1910s, although the very early-20s is possible. A reader writes,"I find it interesting that white was considered the proper Spring/Summer dress outfit. Also more than half the boys are wearing sailor suits. If I had to guess the boys' age I would say most appear to be about 9 or 10 years old. Several of the boys are wearing white three-quater socks with ankle strap shoes (a few of them seem younger than 9 years old) and most of the older looking boys are wearing black long stockings except for one boy who wears white long stockings."

Dress and activity trends at American parties of course varied over time. Children in the 19th and early-20th century dessed up for parties. Parties, even children's parties, were much moral formal events than is the case today. Formal dress was quite common. We don't have much information from the 19th century, butvwith the invention of the Kodak Brownie and familt snap shot, we do from the early-20th century. Here we see rather formally dressed boys, probably in the 1910s (figure 1). After World War I and especially World War II, party dress became much more informal. This varied from family to family and was especially the case with afluent families. The overall trend was pronounced even with working-class families. And as dress became more comfortable and informal, the activities became increasingly important. For many years games like pin-the-tail on the donkey or musical chairs suficed. Gradually with rising incomesand child sophistication, more seems to have become required, we begin to see clowns and ponies and the invention of theme parties.

Created: 12:00 AM 3/12/2012
Last updated: 5:55 PM 3/12/2012