Figure 1.--This cabinet card shows an unidentified American boy with long ringlet curls, striped Fauntleroy blouse, knee pants, long stockings, and high top shoes. The portrait is ubndated, but the new style mount type suggests the early-1900s. The studio is no indicated. The boy looks to be about 6 years old. The wicker chair also helps date the impage to the turn-of-the-century. The ringlets hang down to his shoulder and down his back.

We still note quite a few boys with ringlet curls at the turn of the 20th century. There are numerous examples in the photographic record. Ringlets were not as common as in the 1890s, but still fairly numerous in the photographic record. Most of the 20th century ringlet images we note are from the 1900s. They seem especially common in the early-1900s. The same seems true for associated styles like Fauntleroy suits, kilt suits, and other popular 1890s garments. HBC has archived many examples. A good example is 5-year old Harold Howes in 1905. Another examle is a San Jose boy. We note an unidentified American boy wearing ringlets about 1905. Notably he seems to be wearing casual outdoor play cloythes rather than a dressy outfit. The ringlet curl fashion declined notably in popularity, especially after 1905. A good example is Ervin Emile Blanchenburg wethink about 1905-10. While we still see boys with ringlets in the 1900s, the see more boys with shorter ringlets. A good example is Frank Shrerer.

Prevalence

While ringlet curls for boys seen primaily a 19th century phenomenon, we still not quite a number f boys with riungles in the 20th century, albeit mostly in the 19oos decade. There was a substnatial decline after the turn-of-the 20th century, but we still find quite a numbr of portraits of boys wiyh ringlet curls. There are numerous examples in the photographic record and quite a number are archived in HBC. Ringlets were not as common as in the 1890s, but still fairly numerous in the photographic record at the beginning of the decade. We note one company using images of toddlers with ringlets to demostrate healthy children. A good example is Mellin's Food in 1903. We also see Dayton Sizer Jr. about 1904. The ringlet curl fashion declined notably in popularity, especially after 1905. A good example is Ervin Emile Blanchenburg we think about 1905-10. He wears the shorter cut ringlets we see more commonly in the 1900s. They seem especially common in the first half of the decade. And we see some, but after mid-decade. A good example is Ivan Eugene Perry in 1906-07. Another example is one of the Freeland boys, we believe in the 1900s, although the potrait is not dated. After the end of the decade, ringlet curls fall from popularity very precipitously. This can be seen very clealy in the photographic record. And as a result, most of the 20th century ringlet images we note are from the 1900s.

Age

The ages of the boys with ringlet curls declined somewhat in the 1900s. A factor here is that boys would not be sent to school with ringlets. And school began at age 6 years. Of course some boys tuned 6 years after school began. Now this situation is not appreciably different than the 1890s because the American public school system was well-established with age 6-year entry levels by the late-19th century. We do see sone boys who look to be about 6 years old with ringlets. This is, however, tricky because so few of the portraits have incriptions with the ages of the children photographed. So we have to estimate ages. Of course estimates are never as reliable as actual ages, but even stated ages can be misleading ecuse the child may have just had his birthday or is about to have one. Now we think we can reasonably estimate ages to about 1 year of error. At these yonug ages, a 2 year error is unlikely, but of course we could be wrong and some children look older or younger than they actually are--which cvould be afctor in mom's decision making. So readers shold take all of this into account. Now while the school factor was unchanged in the 1900s, clearly parens atitudes toward ringlets were changing. Here we suspect it was primarily fathers pushing the ssue. While it was relatively rare to find 6 year olds still done up in ringlets, there were a few, most in the cohart up to about 4 years of age. Intetestingly we see more boys wih ringlets than still earing dresses. Just what that meant we are not at all sure.

Clothing

Ringlet curls in thev1900s were worn with a varirty of outfits. We see boys wearing ringlets with stykes thatg were going out of style as well as some new styles of clothing. -The best known of course were Fauntleroy-style outfits, but Fauntleroy suits were going out of style by the turn-of-the 20th century. We still see, however, Fauntleroy blouses. We note an unidentified boy wearing a Fauntleroy blouse and white floppy bow with shortish ringlets, probably about 1905. The same chronological trends seem true for associated styles like Fauntleroy suits, kilt suits, and other popular 1890s garmrents. These were all still worn in the early-1900s, but no longer commonly worn by the end of the decade. Sailor suits were still popular. We mostly see ringlets being worn with sailor suits and tunic suits by the end of the decade. We note an unidentified American boy wearing ringlets about 1905. Notably he seems to be wearing casual outdoor play clothes rather than a dressy outfit. And we see some boys wearing ringlets with the newly popular tunic suit outfits.

Length

We see ringlets done to various length in the 1900s. Ringlets in the 1890s were commonly done to shoulder lengthor falling over the shoulders. We still see shoulder-length ringlets in the 1900s, althogh less commonly over the shoulders. HBC has archived many examples. A good example is 5-year old Harold Howes in 1905. Another example is a San Jose boy. But we also see more boys with the ringlets done to a shorter length above the shoulders. A good example is Frank Shrerer. And these shorter cuts seem to get more common as the decade progresses. The curl styling does not seem to change much, only the length of the curls.

Parts

We note a range of parts. Bangs covered many of the parts. We notice both side abd center parts. A good example of a center part is John R. Dickhant about 1900-05.

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Created: 4:33 AM 7/13/2010
Last edited: 10:50 AM 3/22/2025