Figure 1.--Here we see a family's four children, two boys and two girls. They look to be about 5-14 vears old. The two boys wearing knee pants suits look to be about 7-11 years old, makng age 9 years well within the age range of boys weasring knee pants suits. We might be off a year or so for the yonungest and oldest boy, but age 9 yers would still be well within the range. The portarit is undated, but we would guess was taken in the 1890s, in part because of the sleeve treatment of the girls' dresses. The studio is Helm and Fritz. Curiously the ciy is not specified, rare on a cabinet card, especially a card where the studio is specified.

Knee pants suits for American school age boys were standard for American boys in the late-19th century. We begin to see them in the 1860s, but it was not unil the 1870s that they actually became standard for school-age boys. Throughout the late-19h century we gradually see more and more boys wearing knee pants and older and older boys. By the 1880s we rarely see 9-year olds wearing long pants. This trend occured most rapidly in the cities. For the rest of the era in which knee pants were worn, we almost always see 9-year olds wearing knee pants and always with long stockings. Meaning until the late-1900s decade. Something unusual occurred aftrr the turn-of- the 20th century. We begin to see boys being photographed barefoot, we think mostly working-class boys. This included boys wearing suits. Now going barefoot did not suddenly become common at the turn-of-the century, only photographing them began to become more common. We have no idea why this occured. ow when knee pans began to disappear, younger boys did not begin to wear long pants, instead they began to wear knickers. And they continued wearing long stockings with them. Co unless examples in the photographic record confirm this.

Created: 12:28 PM 11/25/2024
Last updated: 12:28 PM 11/25/2024