Figure 1.--This private photograph which is on a postcard that was postally used inMonmouth, Wales during 1908. It illustrates what middle class boys would have been wearing in the summer of that year. The writing on the back of the card states that the boys were visiting their uncles military camp--which explains the wagon behind them. RFA stands for Royal Field Artillery. We believe the boys are weauing their school uniforms. Notice thatb it is the boys bwearing Eton collars wear knee opamts. Image coutesy of the MD collection.

Family Photograph

The boys seen here look to be wearing light-weight summer suits whivch we believe is their school uniform. It is a family snapshot prined in postcard format. It was s postally used in Monmouth, Wales during 1908. It illustrates what affluent middle class boys would have been wearing in the summer of that year. The writing on the back of the card states that the boys were visiting their uncles military camp--which explains the wagon behind them. RFA stands for Royal Field Artillery. The handwriting on the back of the card is very difficult to read but it appears to say, "This shows Walter & Morris and two other boys ( Something & Duckworth) at Uncle Cliffords Camp this year." The card is addressed to Harold Phillips, Clifton House, High Street, Sandown, Isle of Wight. HBC believes that the two standing boys are the brothers Walter & Morris and the two sitting boys are their friends. The fact that they are dressed alike suggests that they were school mates and this was their scchool uniform. Spending the summer with schoolmates was a common matter in the late 19th and eery 20th centuries. There is even an film about it--The Go Between (England, 1971).

Wales

Wales is of course one of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom . Historically, the English were much more successfull in exstinuigishing Welsh independence than was the case in either Scotland and Ireland (Scotland and Ulster). HBC has archieved separate information on other parts of the U.K. We have not done this for Wales, primarily because we have not noted any destinctive styles from English styles.

School Uniform

An examination of the boys outfits, provide a numbr of insights into English school uniforms in the 1900s.
Caps: The traditional peaked cap was widely worn in the 1900s, both at private and state schools. Note that there is no badge on the caps the boys are wearing here.
Suits: Private school boys in the 1900s generally wore suits. Some schools had inter and summer suits. Note that the suits here do not have bad a school badge or shield. The older boy has a four buttin suit and the younger boy a three-button suit. All the buttons are buttoned. These boys probably also had blazers, but they were worn for sport. The boys at the school wore both long trousers and knee pants. I'm not sure if a school rule was envolved here, or if it was a matter left to the parents, but it probbly was tyhe iunger boys who wore knee pantrs..
Collars: The school these boys attended appears to have required Eton collars for the younger boys and soft collars for the older boys. The school also appars to have required neckties, although one boy here does not wear them.
Hosiery: The boys at the school with knee pants wore long dark stockings.

Reader Comments

An English reader is not convinced that the boys are wearing their school uniforms. He writes, "It's just at likely that their parents outfitted the boys through one of the department store catalogues which were becoming popular at the time. There are pages of suits like these. Which isn't to say that they did not wear these outfits to school: but it would not have been school uniform as we understand it now--rigorously specified down to the colour of the socks." Here HBC does not agree. "If these boys were all brothers, I would be attemoted go along with the possibility that mother was dressing them alike from the same catalog or outfitter. But only two of these boys are brothers. The other two were friends from school. So we have boys from three different families. We thus believe it virtually impossible that three mohers/fathers would have chosen idetical caps, ties, and suits. Note that not only is the style the same, but also the color. Also note that the kneepants and long pants are the same material and color. This is much mor likely be th case for a school unifrm than suits in catalogs and or shops.

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Created: January 26, 2003
Last updated: January 27, 2003