Western Reserve Academy: The Library (1925)


Figure 1.-- This photo from WRA was taken in the library during 1925. It shows three of the boys that year studying. From left to right the boys are Jack Looker (15 years old), Allan Ayers (17 years old), and John Lea (16 years old). Even when not in class, WRA boys had to wear collared shirts and ties during the 1920s. . Image courtesy of WRA.

This photo from WRA was taken in the librry during 1925. It shows three of the boys that year studying. From left to right the boys are Jack Looker (15 years old), Allan Ayers (17 years old), and John Lea (16 years old). Even when not in class, WRA boys had to wear collared shirts and ties during the 1920s. Jack wears a dark jacket with white shirt and striped tie. He is probably wearing a suit with matching trousers, probably knickers, although we can't see his legs. Boys during the 1920s, especially in conservative schools like WRA, commonly wore knickers until at least the age of 16. Allan, a couple of years older than Jack, wears the school athletic sweater (white with a large green letter R [= Reserve] on the front). But notice that he also wears a white shirt and tie underneath the sweater. As a Junior, he probably is allowed to wear long trousers. John wears a dark shirt and tie without a jacket. He could also be wearing knickers, although we can't be certain. The school didn't mandate knickers or long trousers. It was a matter of what parents allowed. Some parents allowed their boys to wear long trousers earlier than others, but the usual age for getting long trousers was 16. Some boys at WRA wore knickers at 17. Notice the center part in the hair styles. Western Reserve Academy is an elite college preparatory boarding school located in the northeastern corner of Ohio. Up until the 1960s it was a single-gender institution--all boys.










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Created: April 22, 2004
Last updated: 6:54 PM 9/10/2007