Figure 1.--This CYKO postcard-back school portrait shows what we think is the graduating 8th grade class at an American elementary (Primary) school--Janus Lick. We do not kniow where it was located. The portrait was taken in 1909. The children would be 13-14 years old. At the time many elementary schools were grades 1-8. Most children at the time did not go on to high school (secondary school). These children all seemed smartly dressed. We suspect that many did continue their education.

This CYKO postcard-back school portrait shows what we think is the graduating 8th grade class at an American elementary (primary) school--Janus Lick. It seems to have been located in San Jose, Califirnia. There is today a middle school and high school by that name there. The portrait was taken in 1909. The children would be 13-14 years old. At the time many elementary schools were grades 1-8. Most children at the time did not go on to high school (secondary school). These children all seemed smartly dressed. We suspect that many did continue their education. We are not positive it is a graduation class as their are no graduation scrolls. This is probably the class portrait of a graduating class, not their graduation portrait. The reason we think it is a graduating class is that the boys with headwear all have hats. Caps were more common at the time for school. The boys obviously dressed up and the children look the right age. There are about 50 children, a rather large class unless they were two classes. The girls wear a variety of dresses, a few with pinafores. Most of the girls have hair bows. A reader pionts out, "If you look at the boys, at least half of them, have haircuts that are stylish today." The boys all wear suits. We note boys wearing knee pants, knickers, and long pants. We see many boys beginning to shift from knee pants to knickers in 1909. And we begin to see boys switching from knee pants/knickers to long pants about 14-15 years of age. All the boys wearing knee pants ahnd knickes wear long stockings. Anoter possibility is that it is a high school freshman class which would mean the children are 14-15 years old. (9th grade). The reason we mention this is that we see 8th grade classes at the time where none of the boys are wearing long pants yet.

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Created: 9:57 AM 11/11/2012
Last updated: 11:12 AM 3/11/2013