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The popularity of ringlet curls in America continued in the 1890s. We notice large numbers of boys with ringlets in the photograohic record. The popularity may have been even greater in the 1890s. And there may be more older boys wearing them. While we see large numbers of boys wearing ringlets in period portraits, they were still a minority of the boys. There seems to be a strong social-class factor involved with ringlet curls. The amazing economic expansion of America in the 1890s may in an important factor in the popularity of ringlet curls. Like fancy clothing such as the Faunteroy suit, ringlets curls were a status symbol, we suspect more for mothers than fathers. We are not yet sure as to the relative popularity during the decade. We note a range of styles. Boys commonly wore ringlets with Fauntleroy suits or blouses, but they were worn with many other outfits as well. A good example is the yonger Harrison boy about 1890. The outfits worn with ringlets were quite varied. Louis G. Martin wore ringlets with a military uniform. We notice a rare image of an unidentified boy wearing ringlet curls at school. We notice Ralph Benton who just turned 12 years of age had his portrait taken wearing ringlet curls with a sailor suit in 1896. Ralph was born in Germany.
The popularity of ringlet curls in America increased spectacularly in the 1880s with the publication of Little Lord Funtleroy continued in the 1890s. We notice large numbers of boys with ringlets in the photograohic record. The popularity may have been even greater in the 1890s than the 80s as the style become more establihed. And there may be more older boys wearing them. While we see large numbers of boys wearing ringlets in period portraits, they were still a minority of the boys. The number reflects how common an inexpensive that photographt had become. There are huge numbers of cabindent card portraits. The amateur snp shot is not yet common, but studio portraits certainly are. Even so the fact that well-to-do families had more portraits taken probably skews the photographic record somewhat to over emphasize the popularity of ringlet curls.
There seems to be a strong social-class factor involved with ringlet curls. The amazing economic expansion of America in the 1890s may in an important factor in the popularity of ringlet curls. The larger historical development is that the United States in the 1890s was making the shift from a largely rural to an increasingly industrial country. And the United States in the 1890s emnerged as the worls's preminent industrial nation. This was a development not fully appreciated in Europe, especially Germany. There were also impats at the individual level concerning how individuals were affected. Large numbers of Americans as a result of the indistrial development entered the middle class in the late-19th century, many reaching considerable levels of affluence. Many of the families had rural origins, often beginning in families of very limited means. Such mothers were often very interested in showing off their new-found affluence and status. Dressing up the children in fncy clothes and hair dis was one such way of doing this. Doing ringlet curls for boys was a considerable undertaking involving quite a bit of work. Mothers from working-class families were unlikely to have the time on their hands to be able to do this.
Like fancy clothing such as the Faunteroy suit, ringlets curls were a status symbol, we suspect more for mothers than fathers. It is likely that some fathers were not thrilled with the idea, but wanted the family to dress stlishly. And at the time mothers generally made the decesions about the girls and younger boys.
We are not yet sure as to the relative popularity during the decade. We see portraits of boys wearing ringlets throughout the decade, but it seems somewhat more common at the beginning than the end of the decade. We note a range of styles.
The outfits worn with ringlets were quite varied. Some boys wore ringlets with Fauntleroy suits. This is probably the most populr image. And we do see boys wearing Fauntleroy suits with ringets. This includes both proper Fauntleroy suits as well as other suits with Fauntleroy elements like a lace or ruffled collar. A good example is the yonger Harrison boy about 1890. Note the Fauntleroy elements that the older brother is wearing. But the Fauntlerou suit was onl;y obe of the outfits with which American boys wore ringlets. Some boys wore ringlets with dresses and other skired outfits like kilt suits before they were breeched. We note boys wearing ringlets with blouses. They were worn with many other outfits as well. One of the most common outfits was the sailor suit. This is not to say tht boys with salor suits mostly had ringlet curls. This would not be te case. But the sailor suit was such a popular style hat may of the images ringlet curl hair styles we have found fro the 1890s show the boy wearing sailor suit outfits of varius types, both sailor-styled drsses and proper sailor suits. Louis G. Martin wore ringlets with a military uniform.
We are not entirely sure if mothers did ringlets for special occassions. We suspect that doing them for a photographic portrait was common. We notice a rare image of an unidentified boy wearing ringlet curls at school. Most boys had their hair cut shot for school, but this was not always the case. A boy did not have tobhave his hair done in ringlets. But to donringlets, he had to have long hair. As we have few American portrats or snapshots of boys with long uncurled hair, we suspect that it ws a regulsar routein to curl boys' hair.
Most American boys with ringlet curls in the 1890s tended to be boys up to about 6 years of age, about the age when they began school. The late-1980s ahd early-90s were the peak of the Fauntleroy craze and we seee quite a large numbers of boys with a wide age range wearing ringlets, especially in the early-90s. This was, however, not always the case. We notice a number of school-age boys wearing ringlets. We suspect for the most part that these were boys from well-to-do families thast were being educated at home with tutors. The American public school system was well-etablished bu the 1890s. And while we may see boys with fancy blouses at school, we do not normally see boys with ringlets at school. While most of the boys with ringlets were the younger boys, we do see some portraits of school age boys with ringlets. They were mostly the younger primsry boys, but we see a few boys even approaching their teens wearing ringlets. Ralph Benton who just turned 12 years of age had his portrait taken wearing ringlet curls with a sailor suit in 1896. Ralph was born in Germany. This seems to be an example of an immigrant family adopting American styles.
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