Figure 1.--The unidentified English boy in this CDV wears a Highland kikt outfit with a black jacket and we think a vest and large plaid. The boy is holding a Glengary cap. We are not sure what has been tossed over the back of the chair. The chair is helpful is steading the subject, but the faster speed of an albumen film meant that the subject did not need to be seated. And clearly mother wanted the full kilt outfit to be seen for the portrait. The portrait is undated. It looks like the 1860s to us, but we are not sure. The sharp corners of the CDV sugges that it was an early one, but the the elaborate back may mean the early-70s. The studio was J. Maddison in Huningdon a market town in eastern England well south of Scotland.

We do begin to see many examples English boys dressed in kilts in the 1860s when CDVs become available. A factor here is that as a result of the CDV there were a substantial increase in the number of photographic portrauts taken. Thus the sudden substantial increase in the munver of images probably reflects the increased number of CDV portraits rarher than a sudden increase in the number of boys wearing kilts. Clearly by the 1860s the number of images suggest that a subtantial number of English boys were wearing Highland kilts. The boys involved are not only boys from aristocratic, but are clearly from affluent or families in comfortable circumstances. We are less sure about middle-class families pf more modest circumstance. As far as we can tell, these Highland outfits were for dressing up and there is no indication that the kilt was worn as a casualor play outfit. We mostly see formal Highland outfits. Boys also wore kilt suits, but we think that they were less common than in America. Perhaps this was because English mothers were more aware of just what a kilt was or perhaps more taken with the mystique of Scotland. As far as we know, the British princes never wore kilt suits. And we mostly see them worn with cut-away jackets and Highland kilts. Here we see two unidentified brothers in London. The studio was McLean and Haes in Haymarket (figure 1). McLean obviously is a Scottish name. We are not sure if McLean attracted Scottish clentelle, At the bottom of the back the CDV read, "International Exhibition 1862 the only House in London Mentioned for the excellence of their coloured Photographs with one exception." This of course was not the Great Exhibition, but it does help date the portrait to about 1862. English boys did not wear kilts for school. As far as we can tell, the kilt in England was exclusively dresswear.

Pevalence

We do begin to see many examples English boys dressed in kilts in the 1860s when CDVs become available. A factor here is that as a result of the CDV there were a substantial increase in the number of photographic portrauts taken. Thus we do not know to what extent the increased prevlence from the 1850s was due to the griwing popularity of the kilt as a result of the Queens interest in Scotland and dressing the princes in kilts as opposed to simply the substantial increase in the number of photographic portrait as a result of thepoplarity of the CDV. The sudden substantial increase in the munber of images probably reflects the increased number of CDV portraits rarher than a sudden increase in the number of boys wearing kilts. Clearly by the 1860s the number of images suggest that a substntial number of English boys were wearing Highland kilts.

Age

The CDVs popular in the 1860s show us examples of English boys wearing kilts. We do not have enough English images at this point to validly assess English kilt age trends. So far we see boys wearing kilts from about 4-10 years old. Here we ae just guesing the ages based on how old the boys look in the portraits. Not very many indicate the age of the boys photographed. We note an unidetified Eastborne boy in a portrait with his sister. The Hunington boy here looks tobe about 10 years of age. We suspect that some older boys also wore kilts, but do not yet have actual examples to confirm it. The examples we have found so far are all boys wearing military-styled black jackets with their kilts.

Social Class

The boys involved are not only boys from aristocratic, but are clearly from affluent or families in comfortable circumstances. We are less sure about middle-class families pf more modest circumstance. Social class is not indicated in portaits unlss the individul is identfied and can not be traced. But the degree to which the boy is properly outfitted in Scottish gear does indicate economic affluence meaning the arustoctocacy are really well-to-do middle class. The more ordinary middle-class might cut corners in the Highland costuming. THe boy's outfit here, for example, would have been quite expensive.

Usage

As far as we can tell, these Highland outfits at least in England were for dressing up. The boy here is a good example (figure 1). There is no indication that the kilt was worn as a casualor play outfit. We mostly see formal Highland outfits. English boys also did not wear kilts for school. As far as we can tell, the kilt in England was exclusively dresswear.

Garments

The fashion of boys wearing Highland kilts was still relatively new in England during the 1860s. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert only introduced the idea in the 1840s. The kilt itself seems to be fairly standard. And the headwear seems to have been either the Balmoral or Glengary. The accoutrements also seem well established, especially the sporan and plaid. We see fewer boys with dirks. The conventions such as the suitable jacket and the hosiery to be worn seem to have been less well established. We see some images that do not conform to what we now see as basic Highland kilt conventios. The boy here has an elaborate Highland outfit (figue 1). He does not have Argyle knee socks, but dark colored knee socks were fairly common in the English Highland kilt outfits we have seen. We have only a few 1860s images at this time, but hope to get a better idea of 1860s trends as HBC expands.

Kilt Suits

English boys also wore kilt suits, but we think that they were less common than in America. Perhaps this was because English mothers were more aware of just what a kilt was or perhaps more taken with the mystique of Scotland. As far as we know, the British princes never wore kilt suits. And we mostly see them worn with cut-away jackets and Highland kilts. On the previous page we see two unidentified brothers in London. The boys wear cut-away jackets which gives it more of a kilt suit look than a Highland outdit look. The studio was McLean and Haes in Haymarket. McLean obviously is a Scottish name. We are not sure if McLean attracted Scottish clentelle. At the bottom of the back the CDV read, "International Exhibition 1862 the only House in London Mentioned for the excellence of their coloured Photographs with one exception." This of course was not the Great Exhibition, but it does help date the portrait to about 1862.

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Created: 4:35 AM 12/5/2012
Last updated: 6:38 AM 5/9/2019