This weeks’s Sepia Saturday prompt picture is of a young boy in shrrt trousers. I have quite a collection of vintage images from the turn of the 19th-20th century to more recent times.
In the first half of the 20th century, for boys the main fashion characteristic was short trousers, worn whatever the weather, with knee length socks. Boys did not go into long trousers until the age of around 13-14 - something of a rite of passage. I remember this upgrade with my brother in the 1950s.
Young Athur looking none too happy posed in his tartan dress, reflecting his Scottish heritage - his grandfather was born on the Scottish northernmost island of Unst in the Shetland Isles.
The note on the back of this photograph says "Arthur in his first pair of trousers", c.1910. This wording referred to the fact it was the custom to have baby boys in dresses - see below - though I thought the practice had died out by the early 1900s. Arthur was my cousin's father.
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| Harry Rawcliffe Danson, (my Uncle Harry), born 1912 |
Harry's middle name came from his grandmother Maria Danson, nee Rawcliffe. This
is a section of a larger family photograph taken in 1916 when his father William Danson went off
to war in Flanders. 24 years later Harry survived the Battle of Dunkirk. He retained his good dark looks all his life.
My husband's uncle Matthew Iley White, born 1915.
Photograph taken by T. W. H. Liddle, Photographer, South Shields.
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| Frederick Henry Weston (my Uncle Fred), born 1905. in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire |
This
photograph came to me via a connection of my cousin and is one of the very few early photographs I have of my
father's Weston family. The story was that photographs were thrown out following a death. What a crime!
In
the 1911 census the Weston family were living in Lunt Lane, Lunt
Gardens, Bilston, Wolverhampton in the industrial English Midlands. A
photograph in Wolverhampton Archives indicated that Lunt Lane was the
location of the Bilston Sewers - so not exactly garden country.
Surely
Fred must have been dressed up for a special occasion in this fancy
coat and white socks and big hat? Unfortunately there is no longer
anyone alive from the immediate family to ask.
A
photograph from my husband's family collection - but he does not know
who it is. The only clue - it was taken by a photographer in South
Shields, County Durham. The guess is, it could be his grandmother's half
brother - Robert William Hibbert, born in 1896.
The sailor suit was a uniform traditionally worn by enlisted seamen
in the navy, characterized by its distinctive collar. It gained popularity and
developed into a popular clothing style as worn by the children of Queen Victoria and the Russian royal family.
Arthur Smith again in his sailor suit - and what a wonderful mop of curls,
 |
Taken by ? Watson, 13 Wellington Terrace, Blackpool.
A photograph from the large collection left by my Great Aunt
Jennie Danson, who grew up in Poulton-le-Fylde, near Blackpool, Lancashire. She had
written names on the back, but otherwise little is known about them. I
suspect they are the children of friends, and taken around 1918. I was unable to make much
headway in searching for the surnames in the 1911 census.
Onto the 1950s. My brother, looking very angelic, in short trousers bar
sandals and short white socks. I am all dressed up with my hair in
ringlets, for taking part in Staining Gala, near Blackpool,.
Lancashire.
A family group of my parents with m aunt Fran, with my little brother in his shorty trousers. I have my plaits tied up over my head Austrian style.
My husbad in his winter coat. with short trousers hidden.
Warm enough for icecream - but husband still dressed in his pullover and jacket over short trousers.
My cousin Stuart with his sister and how angelic they look, with their blond locks obviously inherited from their father Arthur (see above). I remember my brother wearing similar short trousers held up by straps.
Adapted from an earlier post
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Sepia Saturday gives bloggers an opportunity
to share their family history through photograph
Click HERE to see more of this week's tales from
Sepia Saturday bloggers.
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How lucky you are to have such a wonderful collection of little boys in short pants. They're all so cute. :) I've always wondered at the practice of keeping young boys in skirts for so long? I can only suppose there was a practical reason for it?
ReplyDeleteAfter seeing all these splendid photos, I wonder until what age boys were photographed standing on chairs rather than sitting on them.
ReplyDeleteBut it is a magnificent collection!
Such charming boys’ fashion!
ReplyDeleteSusan
By the time my boys came along, they had short pants early on, and quickly switched to long jeans, or shorts for summer. Whatever was practical for their active life styles... but these are such great old photos of children's styles now I think I'll go check on early 20th century photos of boys.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great collection of old photos of young boys!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing another of your fashion medleys. I've always thought that the old tradition of clothing boys in short trousers was for family economy. Even as a boy's legs inevitably grew longer as they got older there was no need to buy/make new ones as the old ones would still fit. There was a variation of short trousers which you didn't include, maybe because it was less common in photos of little boys. The knickerbocker style with hems buckled below the knee appears pretty regular with American boys in the 1860-1910 period. I imagine it allowed a similar economy of lasting until a boy reached his full growth as a young man. I wonder when blue jeans became a standard. Today's kids follow very different fashion styles which seem almost scandalously casual and ridiculously expensive.
ReplyDeleteWhat a precious collection of family photos. I love the first one. Is he wearing sports attire? I also love the photo of your Uncle Harry. Danson. I remember you posting adult photos of him, but this childhood one is wonderful. Great matches, ever one, to the prompt!
ReplyDelete