Figure 1.--This unidentified American boy had a CDV portrait made in the 1860s. He is wearing a cut-away jacket suit with bloomer knickers. Note his hat on the table. We are not sure what it would be called, but seems a type of rounded-crown hat. We are not sure just how to describe the hat. The studio setting and pose here is interesting. Notice the draped table. This was very common in Daguerreotypes, nut with a seated subject because of the long exposure times. Here the boy is standing as CDV had shorter exposure times. This tells us that the CDV is an early one, probably taken in 1862 or 63. The back has a pasted on photographers label and no tax stamp, alll suggesting an early CDV. Later CDVs commonly had standing subjects without the table.

The hat styles worn by American boys varied over time. We do not have much information on the 18th century. There were no child hat styles. Both men and boys wote three-corner hats. Boys on the frontier must have worn coon-skin hats to some degree like Daniel Boon and the mountain men of the early-19th century. We have little information on the early-19h century. We see boys wearing peked military-styled caps. We are less sure about hats. We have much more information once photography appeared in the mid-19th century. We see many boys wearing rounded-crown hats. This became the basis for sailor-styled hats with brims. Rounded crown hats with more narow brims were a major style for much of the 19th century. We note boys wearing some adult hat styles in the late 19th century. Caps became much more common for boys in the 20th centurym although we continue to see boys wearing hats throughout the first half of the 20th century. . We do see boys still wearing wide-brimmed hats in the early-20th century. After World War I, child hat styles were not very common, but we do see boys wearing adult styles until after World War II. By the 1960s it was increasingly rare to see boys wearing hats. And the hats we see were adult styles. An exception was the cowboy hat worn for play by little boys and mostly men in the Southwest. After the 1950s it was relatively rare for American boys to wear hata, athough we still see caps.

The 18th Century

The hat styles worn by American boys varied over time. We do not have much information on the 18th century. There were no child hat styles. Both men and boys wote three-corner hats. Boys on the frontier must have worn coon-skin hats to some degree like Daniel Boon and the mountain men of the early-19th century.

The 19th Century

We have little information on the early-19h century. We see boys wearing peked military-styled caps. We are less sure about hats. We have much more information once photography appeared in the mid-19th century. While very few Daguerreotypes provide images of boys' headwear, by the 1860s, CDVs begin to provide large numbers of images showing the gats worn by boys. We see many boys wearing rounded-crown hats. This became the basis for sailor-styled hats with brims. We also see straw hats becoming important at mid-century. Rounded crown hats with more narow brims were a major style for much of the 19th century. We note them done with many ctown and brim variations. We note a wide variety of hat styles. We are not sure what many styles were called or even if they had specific names. We note boys wearing some adult hat styles in the late 19th century. We see some boys wearing adult style hats like bowlers, homberg, but top hats were rarely worn. Straw boaters appeared in the late-19th century.

The 20th Century

Caps became increasingly common for boys in the 20th century. Caps did not replace hats, but we see boys increasingly wearing caps rther than hats. Even so, we continue to see boys wearing hats throughout the first half of the 20th century. The hat became a nore formal type of headwear. Caps were more common for school and everyday wear. We do see boys still wearing wide-brimmed hats in the early-20th century. Hats were also worn in the 1910s, often with a destinctive turn of the brim. This gave familar styles a new look. After World War I, child hat styles were not very common, but we do see boys wearing adult styles until after World War II. We still see men and some boys wearing hats in the 1950s. The hats boys wore were adult styles like fedoras. By the 1960s it was increasingly rare to see boys wearing hats. And the hats we see were adult styles. An exception was the cowboy hat worn for play by little boys and mostly men in the Southwest. After the 1950s it was relatively rare for American boys to wear hats, athough we still see caps.

The 21st Century

We do not notice American boys wearing hats in the 21st century.

Created: 7:13 PM 1/5/2010
Last updated: 1:00 AM 5/18/2010