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Overalls were created by Levi Straus (mid-19th century). They were workpans for men and for several decaded they had nothing to do with children. Nor do we notice men wearing them in rural areas. Thus we beieve that we would have noticed them if they were worn to any extent by children in the 19th century. We note a few images in the late-19th century, mostly in the 1890s. Our American archive is subtantial. And ironically they do not seem to be working-class children, but middle-class children. We are not entirely sure of the conventions involved here. But we see a few portraits of boys wearing very fancy blouses with overalls. We are not sure about the colors. And we see mothers takibg their children to be photograhed wearing overalls. The best indicator as overalls as school wear is school portraits. Amrican children did not wear uniforms. Thus the clothing they are wearing in the school portraits are a good idicator of popular styles. We do not begin to notice them at schools until the turn of the 20th century. We note a boy at at a rural Tennessee school in 1902 wearing what look like home-made overalls. We do not know why they suddenly became so common. It was not until the end of the decade, however, that we note them beng commonly worn to school and only at rural schools. Boys in rural America commonly went to school in overalls through the 1930s and into the early 40s.
Overalls were created by Levi Straus (mid-19th century). They were workpans for men and for several decaded they had nothing to do with children. We do not see working-class children wearing overalls to any extent even though many of their fathers wore overalls in mines and factories. For studio portraits, hiweverm, maen changed into their best clothing. Nor do we notice men wearing them in rural areas. We can not be sure of this, but we beieve that we would have noticed them if they were worn to any extent by children or in the 19th century. And we just do not see tht in the photographic record. Nor do we see farmers wearing them in the 19th century. That rather surprised us as they were so commonly worn by farmers in the 20th century. We are not sure just what canged at the turn-of-the 20th century. Perhaps readers will have some insight here.
We are not sure at thus time what farmers and farm children were wearing. Overalls today are associated with farm wear. Bur this was not the case when overalls were first inriduced (mid-19th century). Gradually they became adopted by factory workers in America's burgoning industrial economy. we do not know just when farmers and farm familes began adopting them. Overalls appeared about the same time as photography so we should see them i the photograpic record. The reason we do not see overalls in the photiographic record to any extent may be that farmers dressed up when they came into town to have their portrauts taken. Phitofrapohy in the 19th century was mostly studio photography. Thus in the photograpic record we just do not see farmers wearuing overalls to any extent in the photographic record. A major exceoption to stydio photgraphy by the late-19th century is scgool photography and again we do not see overall to nay extent. This suddenly changed in the late 1900s decade. Suddenly we begin to see farm kids wearing overalls.
We note a few images in the late-19th century, mostly in the 1890s. Our American archive is subtantial. And ironically they do not seem to be working-class children, but middle-class children. We are not entirely sure of the conventions involved here. But we see a few portraits of boys wearing very fancy blouses with overalls. We are not sure about the colors. And we see mothers taking their children to be photograhed wearing overalls. The image here in 1898 is a good example (figure 1). We thought at forst that they might be rural children. But we are not at all sure about this. School portraits in the 19th century do not show children wearing overalls, including rural children. And the ringlet curls the boy here has were not common in rural areas. So we are just not sure about the mother's fashion concept here.
The best indicator as overalls as school wear is school portraits. Amrican children did not wear uniforms. Thus the clothing they are wearing in the school portraits are a good idicator of popular styles. We do not begin to notice them at schools until after the turn of the 20th century. We note a boy at at a rural Tennessee school in 1902 wearing what look like home-made overalls. This is the eatrliest indicator we have of school usage. Our assessment of school portraits suggest that overallswere not all that common at rural until about 1908. And that they were not worn at all at urban schools. It was not until the end of the decade, however, that we note them beng commonly worn to school and only at rural schools. We seem them being worn very commonly at rural schools through the 1930s and into the earl-40s. A good example is the Bellevue School in Illinois. We do not know why they suddenly became so common. Boys in rural America commonly went to school in overalls through the 1930s and into the early 40s.
The boy here is not dressed up in playwear, He is wearung a fancy fauntleriy blouse, meaninthat thuis is dress wear (figure 1).
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