Figure 1.-- This unidentified portrait is undated. It looks to have been taken in the 1900s. The boy is barefoot, but the way he is dressed suggests he was not from a poor family. This is not a snapshot, but a portrait taken by a commercial photographer. Note the primitive set up. The photographer did not have astudio. It was probably taken at strate or more likely a county fair. This suggests that the child's family was certainly not wealthy, but as we note not poor. It seems that the dog was playing in the mud just before the picture was taken.

Social class was another factor related to children going barefoot. Boys from humble families were much more likely to go barefoot than boys from affluent families. Going barefoot, however, should not be seen as a sure indicator of poverty in the 19th century when many boys actually preferred to go barefoot, especially during the summer. Shoes in the 19th century were not a comfortable as today. Many modrn children do not like to wear leather shoes, prly because sneakers are more comfortable. Shoes in the 19th century could be very uncomfortable. This is addressed by Marl Twain in The Adventures of Tom Sawter. While of course a fiction book, little deails like that wdre founded on reality. One factor that should be born in mind when consideing social class is demographics. While middle-class and rich children in the big northeastern cities did not commonly go barefoot, even wellto-do children in small towns and rural areas were more likely to go barefoot s it was so common ad often more comfortable.