Figure 1.--This CDV portrait was taken about 1865. We know that because there was a revenue tax stamp on the back. The boy looks to be about 7 years old, but he is unidentified. The photographer was J.J. Huyler in Middletown, New York. The boy wears a two-pece button-on suit. (The buttons are hidden by the waistband.) Note his peaked military cap cap on the table. Put your cursor on the image for an enlargement of the cap.

We note a cap that looks rather like what might be called a band cap. We have no idea what this cap style was called, or even if it had a specific name in the 19th century. Mail orders companies often did not use names for the various styles of caps. It is clearly a military style. It seems similar to some caps worn during the Napoleonic War (1800-15) and worn by the U.S. Army uring the Mexican War (1840s). For some reason we see the Federal and Confederate Armies wearing different styles during the Civil War. We then see both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy wearing these caps in the late-19th century. We are not sure just how to describe it. The sides of the cap seem rather stiff and cylindrical, but did not rise very high. And the crown or top was basically flat. Certainly not rounded. The peak or bill tended to be large. We see them done in various materials. The style seems similar in some ways to the caps worn by the French Army in the 20th century, but with sides that were not as high. They may have been worn as early as the 1820s. We think they are basically a military style adopted by boys from the Napoleonic wars. They seem to be an European style afopted in America. Drawings suggest they were worn with tunuc suits. We see drawings of boys wearing these caps in the early-19tyh century. A good example is an unidentified boy, wearing a tunic outfit, we think in the 1850s. It was not a particularly common style. We see more boys wearing other headwear styles. We do occassionaly see it and see it oftn enough that it certainly was not a rare style. So far the examples we see most ommomly come from the 1850s-60s. We continue to see examples at the turn-of the 20th century, but not much beyond the 1900s.

Terminology

We note a cap that looks rather like what might be called a band cap. We have no idea what this cap style was called, or even if it had a specific name in the 19th century. Mail orders companies often did not use names for the various styles of caps.

Military Style

It is clearly a military style. It seems similar to some caps worn during the Napoleonic War (1800-15) and worn by the U.S. Army during the Mexican War (1840s). For some reason we see the Federal and Confederate Armies wearing different styles during the Civil War (1861-65). We then see both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy wearing these caps in the late-19th century. The style seems similar in some ways to the caps worn by the French Army in the 20th century, but with sides that were not as high.

Description

We are not sure just how to describe it. The sides of the cap seem rather stiff and cylindrical, but did not rise very high. And the crown or top was basically flat. Certainly not rounded. The peak or bill tended to be large. But we see some ilth smll peajs, more in Britain than America.

Chronology

We blieve that these caps are basically a military style adopted by boys from the Napoleonic wars. These caps seem to be an European style adopted in America. Drawings suggest they wre worn with tunuc suits. We see drawings of boys wearing these caps in the early 20th century. With the advent of photography we can begin to assess thse caps more closely (1840s). We see boys wering these aps from the earliesr=t days of photography. A good example is an unidentified boy, wearing a tunic outfit, we think in the 1850s. And here we see a boy about 1865 wearing one of these caps (figure 1). It was not a particularly common style. We see more boys wearing other headwear styles. We do occassionally see it and see it often enough that it certainly was not a rare style. So far the examples we see most cmmonly come from the 1850s-60s. We have found severl examples in the 1890s. We continue to see examples at the turn-of the 20th century, but not much beyond the early 1900s.

Material

We see them done in various materials. They may have been worn as early as the 1820s.

Age

Created: 4:36 AM 8/17/2008
Last updated: 7:41 AM 5/24/2017