Figure 1.--Here we see an unidentified boy charging forward on a honny horse. He wears a high-set Oliver Twist peaked military cap. He also wars a cut-awy jacket which would be an imortant boy's style in the 19th cebntury. Note the wide-jacket sleeves and gathered blouse wrist cuffs. He looks to be about 5 years old. The portrait is undated, but looks to have been taken in the 1850s. The late-1840s is possible.

We noticed some different styles of peaked military caps over over time. They were a range of stylistic variationson these basic styles, but the basic types were Oliver Twist caps and kepis. The Oliver Twist caps dominated in the first half of the 19th century, butwe see a few in the second half of the decade. They were done in many different styles. The kepis dominated in the 1860s. There were minor sylistic differences, but the basic kepi style was fairly standard. Given the enormity of the Civil War we would have expected far more boys were wearing these caps than we see in the historical records. And because of the explosion in photography as a result of the albumen process and the CDV we have an unparalled look at popular fashion in the 1860s. And we only see a few examples after the the 60s.

Oliver Twist Caps

Following fashions before the invention of photography is difficult. The early caps were based on European fashions--a Napoleonic War military cap style. We are not sure what to call them. We note some refernces to oliver Twist caps, but that is not what they would have been called at the time. Perhaps readers will have an idea. We know they were worn in the 1820s and during the first half of the century. We notice these caps, or at least some similar-looking ones, later, but not as commonly. These caps were probably the most important headwear style in the early-19th century. Rounded-crown hats appear to have begun to replaced them in importance by mid-century. The caps were made in many different forms. Some had leather brims while others were all cloth. They were sttill worn in the 1880s. We also seem them in the 1890s, but by that time they were beginning to be less common. A good example are boys at the Kern City School in 1891.

Kepis

We see the kepi caps, another peaked military style becoming important as a result of the CIvil War. hey were the primary uniform cap worn by both Confederate and Federal soldiers. And we see them being worn for several decades after the War. They were no, owever, as popular as one might think after the Civil War, perhaps the most mamouth undetaking (in relative terms) of the American Republic. Surely the boys would have wanted them. Perhps the mothers did not totally approve because of the horrors of the War.

Created: 7:46 AM 8/2/2024
Last updated: 7:46 AM 8/2/2024