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The second of the of the two basic choices for the front forehead when doing ringlet curls was a part. As with bangs, there were many options. There were side or center parts as well as double side parts. The most common option by far was was the center part. That is the easiest way of handling long hair. It is why so many girls had center parts. A good example is Charles Lamson about 1903. This was an exception to a general rule that center parts in unidentified old photographs suggest girls. The center part was so common as it helped divide the hair on each side eually. This helped make the ringlets on each side of equal lengths. We do also see options like double side parts. While the two basic options for the front were bangs or parts, we do see some variations. Some mothers actually did curls at the front. We have noted a large front curl or bangs done in little curls. Neither of these were very common, but are examples of the multutude of variations in boys ringlet hair styles. And of course front bangs commonly hust desguised a center hair part.
The most common option by far was was the center part. That is the easiest way of handling long hair. It is why so many girls had center parts. A good example is Charles Lamson about 1903. This was an exception to a general rule that center parts in unidentified old photographs suggest girls. The center part was so common as it helped divide the hair on each side eually. This helped make the ringlets on each side of equal lengths. The number of boys with center parts is diffucuklt to stimate. In some cases it is obvious like the self-assured Boston boy here (figure 1). But as many boys with ringklet curls had their front hair done in bangs, it is impossible to see ghe center part. Most of these boys had center parts, but you just can not see it.
Most boys had side parts. That was the case in the 19th anbd 20th centuries and continues to be the case in the 21st century. And some of the boys with ringlets had side parts. It as a minority of the boys because it complicated doing the ringlets. It means that there is more hair for the ringlets on one side than the other. This required some imaginative hair styling for mother. Combing the hair down from two unequal areas of the head presents all kinds of problems. That is wide sude parts are mostly used for by boys with short hair.
We do also see options like double side parts. By having double side parts, the problem of more hair in one side is solved. And it creates an opportunity, to do a top curl with the hair between the two side parts. A good example is an unidentified New York boy in the 1860s. It is difficult to assess how common this was because most portraits of boys with ringlets are taken from the front and the part is not clearly observable. It is likely that all the boys with top curls, which is clearly observable, have double side parts. We have not noted girls commonly using the doubkle side part hair styling alternative. As far as we can tell it was mostly for boys. Virtually every style girls wanred could best be achieved with the center part most girls used.
While the two basic options for the front were bangs or parts, we do see some variations. Some mothers actually did curls at the front. We have noted a large front curl or bangs done in little curls. Neither of these were very common, but are examples of the multutude of variations in boys ringlet hair styles. And of course front bangs commonly hust desguised a center hair part.
Navigate Related HBC Pages:
[Return to the Main U.S. ringlet curl front style page]
[Return to the Main U.S. ringlet curl style page]
[Return to the Main U.S. ringlet curl page]
[Return to the Main ringlet curl page]
[Return to the Main curl page]
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