Figure 1.-- This cabinet card portrait shows a boy with we think a flower. That was not very common in America. The studio was Charles C. Kough in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He wears a frilly Fauntleroy blouse with a difficult to see white floppy bow. Notice the front of his ringlet curl hair style. Mother has done his bangs in small little curls. We have noted this before, but it was not very common. The new-styled beveled edge light-colored mount has gilt lettering. This and the whicker furniture help us to date the image to the turn-of-the 20th century. The boy looks to be 3-4 years old.

The front is commonly the most important part of a hair style because it is the most vissible aspect. Of course the most important part of ringlets curls were the ringles which were almost always at the side or back. The two basic choices for the front forehead when doing ringlet curls were either doing the front of a ringlet hair style in bangs or a part, although here were other alternatives and many variations. Bangs were very popular and were often used to hide the cernter front part. The bangs could be shaped in a variety of different ways. Some were done straight across the forehead. Other bangs fronts were more molded and rounded. There were also various oprions for the part. There were side or center parts aw well as double side parts. The most common was the center part. This was an exception to a general rule that center parts in unidentified old photographs suggest girls. 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 frfonr curl or bngs done in little curls. Neither of these were very common, but are examples of the multutude of variations in boys ringlet hair styles.

Front Bangs

The first of the two basic frontal choices for the front forehead when doing ringlet curls was bangs. Thisd was probably the most common way of doing the front with ringlet curl hair styles, at least for boys. We are less sure for girls. One of the reason that bangs were so common is surely because the convention at the time was that girls had center parts. The bangs could be done in many different ways. Bangs were very popular and were often used to hide the cernter front part. Sometimes the part can not even be seen, at least in the photographic portraits. In other cases the part could easily be seen but was covered in the front to varying degrees. A good example is Ivan Eugene Perry in 1906-07. The bangs could be shaped in a variety of different ways. Some were done straight across the forehead. Other bangs fronts were more molded and rounded. There were also various other options for the part. We can see here the bangs done in small riglets and a part laterallly scross the forehead instead of running back (figure 1). This was a rather rare style.

Front Parts

The second of the of the two basic frontal choices for the front forehead when doing ringlet curls was a part. As with bangs, there were many options. here were side or center parts aw well as double side parts. The most common was the center part. This was an exception to a general rule that center parts in unidentified old photographs suggest girls. The center part was common as it helped make the ringlets on each side of equal length, 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.

Parted Bangs

Some ringlet curl styles rather merged the two principal alternatives. In this case the front was done in bangs, but the bangs were parted at the front. This could onlu be used with styles that used center parts.s

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Created: 6:26 PM 6/6/2010
Last edited: 2:30 PM 10/3/2013