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We do not have a complete chronology of pinafores. We know nothing about the 18th century at this time. We know that they were commonly worn in the 19th century, primarily because clothing was very expensive and important to protect. In addition, laundry was so laborious that mothers did all they could to see to it that children protected their clothing. This is a difficult subject to research through the photographic record which is our primary source of information. Most children were dressed up for studio portaits and the pinfore was a utilitarian garment. How commonly boys wore pinafores, we are not sure. Most of the photographs we have found showing pinafores have girls wearing them. Available photographic images show that some boys did wear them in the late-19th century. An example is an unidentified Mississippi child, we think in the 1890s or perhaps the 1900s. Although the child is unidentified, we think he is a boy. We are less sure about the early-20th century. We believe that pinfores began to decline in usage after the turn-of-the 20th century. We do see them being worn, mostly by girls in the 1900s and 10s, but we no longer commomly see them after World war I (1914-18). This can be followed to some extent in the HBC school chronology pages.
We do not have a complete chronology of pinafores. We know nothing about the 18th century at this time. There are 18th paintings which we hope to use to determine to what extent pinafores were worn by American children in the 18th century.
We know that pinafores were commonly worn in the 19th century, primarily because clothing was very expensive and important to protect. In addition, laundry was so laborious that mothers did all they could to see to it that children protected their clothing. Pinafores were commonly white, especially the fab=ncy pinafores, but we also see colored ones. This is a particularly diificult subject to research through the photographic record which is our prijmary source of information. There are no photographic images until the 1840s. We do not begin to see realy lrge number od imafes, however, until the introduction of the CDV in the 1860s. An early example is an unidentified boy, probably in the 1860s. After the development of photography, there are significant problems using the photographic record as a source of information for pinafores. Most children were dressed up for studio portaits and the pinfore was a utilitarian garment. Even so, some could be very fancy. How commonly boys wore pinafores, we are not sure. Most of the photographs we have found showing pinafores have girls wearing them. Available photographic images show that some boys did wear them in the late-19th century. An example is an unidentified Mississippi child, we think in the 1890s or perhaps the 1900s. Although the child is unidentified, we think he is a boy. This is another problem as concerns pinafores. It is often diddicult to identify the gender of younger children. One of our most important
We are less sure about the early-20th century. We still see quite a number in the early-20th century. We believe that pinfores began to decline in usage after the turn-of-the 20th century. We do see them being worn, mostly by girls in the 1900s and 10s, but we no longer commomly see them after World War I (1914-18). This can be followed to some extent in the HBC school chronology pages.
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