Roy Sherman Childers, Age 2 (Taken in 1920)

05/23/2014

In the early 1900s young boys would wear dresses until around the age of 3. I didn't know that they did hair similar as well? Adorable photo of Roy Sherman Childers.

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Patricia Cromwell

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06/11/2003

This was my dad. It seems odd to me that they dressed little boys like that back in the 1920's, but I guess that's it. He sure was cute wasn't he? - Patricia L. Childers Cromwell

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Patricia Cromwell

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06/12/2004

Look how time flies. My dad would have been interested to see all the relatives on this "New Computer" age. Patricia L. Childers Cromwell

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Cindy Polcyn

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05/23/2014

strange

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Ann Nottingham

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05/23/2014

My father was born in 1917 and has a similar picture.

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Valenchia Sundin Hershberger

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05/23/2014

Any reason why they would do this?

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Robyn McIntyre

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05/23/2014

They didn't have modern fasteners and skirts made it easier to get to diapers and also for potty training.

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Valenchia Sundin Hershberger

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05/23/2014

I was just reading that! Thanks for responding.

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Valenchia Sundin Hershberger

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05/23/2014

Trying to be lazy by not looking it up myself. lol

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Suzanne Black Katz

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05/23/2014

In some places it was a superstition,to fool the evil spirits or bad fairies into thinking this was a girl child.

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Paul Kraase

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05/23/2014

A lot easier for diapers and potty training. In earlier days, young children simply wore a long shirt until they were potty-trained. Girls would then graduate to little dresses, and boys would be "britched-up".

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Patty Hourihan Mayo

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05/23/2014

Thanks I didn't know that

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Cheryl LaSarre Gaddis

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05/23/2014

OK--now I know (I think).

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Cory Hiles

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05/23/2014

Neat

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Ginny Gardner Poe

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05/23/2014

Why?

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Bar C Ranch

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05/23/2014

precious !

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Robin Paull

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05/23/2014

I'm curious about the reason. This anyone know?

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Sue Hulett

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05/23/2014

Babies were babies. There wasn't any point in distinguishing male and female babies by their clothing. There still isn't.

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Janette Coles

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05/23/2014

Blimey o'reiley Lol

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Traci Delano

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05/23/2014

I love these old photos ...I know they dressed boys in christening gowns and some frocks but I have never seen them adorn the boys hair with bows. I believe this is a girl.

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Shelia Wiseman

4 followers 208 favorites

06/12/2014

I assure you, this is a boy and it is my Grandfather, who was born April 10, 1918. Two of his brothers, Herman and Bill are still living, and both stand firm on the fact that it is their brother, Roy. They say people dressed boys in girl attire back then, especially for pictures.

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Gina Cerniglia

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05/23/2014

bows? bummer lol... but feminine attire has come and gone for men throughout history. Renaissance = tights, frilly collars and heels.

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Patricia Snodgrass

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05/23/2014

Since there were only cloth diapers available during that period of time it makes sense to put both boys and girls in dresses. Not sure about the hair, tho. Maybe it was just the custom of the time. O.o

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Nancy Murray Marxen

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05/23/2014

I doubt that they had rubber pants… so the dress might of been mighty handy...

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Robyn McIntyre

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05/23/2014

Interesting.

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Hazel Woodus

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05/23/2014

Thanks for the information!

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Sandy Hearn

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05/23/2014

Thanks for sharing, I had suspected that the dresses for boys has something to with diapers, but did not know the facts. Now i do.

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Dorothy P Heade

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05/24/2014

Thanks for the info. I never knew or would have guessed.

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Tamie Brueggemann

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05/25/2014

Yes Thanks You. I showed this to my husband and this is what he said. I hate it when he is right. :)

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Michael Guenther

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05/23/2014

I think they wanted a girl.

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Aldo José Romo-Thurm

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05/23/2014

Hahahaha

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Pam Hollaway Leonard

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05/23/2014

That was crazy!

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Nancy Dyche

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05/23/2014

I always wondered if it wasn't easier to change diapers. Also, I read somewhere that many children back them "potty trained" themselves. I guess if I was a year old and had poop and pee running down my legs that might be incentive enough to figure it out! :)

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Cindi Krell Sitte

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05/23/2014

I knew about the dresses but the hair is new to me

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Mark DeRycke

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05/23/2014

Strange !!

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Karen Meyer

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05/23/2014

My grandpa, born in 1900 has a similar photo at age 2 or 3. Even the ribbons in his hair. He said he couldn't explain it but that it was the fashion.

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DeLynn Rector

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05/23/2014

My dad was born in 1935. I have a picture of him as a very young infant with a dress and bonnet. The bows in the hair in that pic strikes me as odd.

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Lisa Harrington

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05/23/2014

Thats insane!

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Christopher Williams

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05/23/2014

How interesting lol

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Joni Hutton

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05/23/2014

My dad was born in 1919 and, although I don't have any pictures, I do recall stories that were told about his beautiful long curly hair and how they dressed him as a girl!

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Patrick Harlow

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05/23/2014

I dont think this is a picture of a boy. A boy wouldn't have bows in his hair. this is a girl.

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Dena Davies

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05/23/2014

I find that quite disturbing, TBH, especially the ribbons in the hair!

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Joy DeMatteis

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05/23/2014

Hair part in middle for girl and on side for boy.

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Rachael Rawson

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05/23/2014

My dad was born in 1904! I have a pic of him in a dress with high button shoes and long blonde wavy hair when he was about 4! He said they then cut his hair and put pants on him at age 6.

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Susan Vendikos Gill

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05/23/2014

I think the answer that a baby was a baby is the best one. when my son, kristoffer was a baby , and he is only 30 now, he had the most beautiful ringlets. I let them grow and they looked like shirley temple's. My father entered his photo into an ad agency who used him for an advertisement for a baby gate. they said oh what an adorable little girl!!! They paid a lot of money so for that day, he was a girl. LOL

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Cindy Hodgdon

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05/23/2014

Great story!

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Rod Warren

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11/03/2014

Very odd!

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Karen Wallace McGinnis

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05/23/2014

The trick is to check the hair part girls were always parted in the middle baby boys to the side that's how they were told apart learned that at Franklin Plantation in TN

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Robin Tully Flannery

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05/23/2014

I have a picture of my grandfather you would swear it was a girl he was born in 1902

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Dorothy Cordova

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05/23/2014

Boys usually parted their hair on the sides and girls down the middle.

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Melissa Marie Wells

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05/23/2014

That's crazy.

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Karen Wallace McGinnis

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05/23/2014

And yes 2 reasons 1 a large portion of children didn't live past 5 so clothes were reused and it also comes from the old county they would disguise baby boys so invading army's wouldn't take them

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Rod Warren

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11/03/2014

What?! You must be kidding, I hope!!

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Dorothy Cordova

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05/23/2014

Karen Wallace McGinnis, we had a simultaneous thought!

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Lisa Glines

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05/23/2014

crazy parents...oddly i think it made them more appealing.like dolls

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Susan L. Maddock

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05/23/2014

My uncle who is in his late 80's had a picture taken like this. I think it had to do with potty training.

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Tammy Silvey Myers

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05/23/2014

My father in law was born in 1918 and we have several baby and toddler pics. Some in dresses but none with bows or ribbons! I don't think he would let me display any pictures of him in bows!!

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Lynda Warner

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05/23/2014

that's just wrong.....my dad was born in '26 and has a picture of him in what looks like a dress, but no bows....

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Marty Morgan

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05/23/2014

well i know back in the day some ppl believed either God or the devil would c ur boy child and take him also gypsy stories of stealin children any way it was a disguise

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Debbie Goth

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05/23/2014

That's a girl imo center part , big bows My dad was born in 1903 had pics of him in a dress as a toddler

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Robin Tully Flannery

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05/23/2014

My grandfather is in the middle ... He doesn't look very happy

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Hazel Woodus

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05/23/2014

Beautiful children

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Belinda Smith

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05/23/2014

He looks very pretty though lol, thanks for sharing you gave me a giggle.

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Nancy Murray Marxen

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05/23/2014

My father was born in 1915, never have seen any pictures of him in a dress, or ribbons in his hair.

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Alejandra De Olivera

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05/23/2014

wow hehe

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Whitestring Eve

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05/23/2014

Adorable!

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Gisa Britz

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05/23/2014

kkkkkkkkkkkkk Por que será????????? kkkkk

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Lorraine Hill-Waters

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05/24/2014

Very cute!

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Mary Jane Perez Cornielle

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02/20/2015

What a great picture. At least your grandpa was being true to his emotions, no sir, no fake smile here.

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Peggy Ann Bruno

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05/23/2014

Victorian boys were dressed very similar. To girls as toddlers(.even including long curls) not sure why.but c

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Teresa Collins Smith

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05/23/2014

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Peggy Ann Bruno

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05/23/2014

Not sure why,but many children died before 5 (before wonder drugs) and were therefore cherished in pictures and tended to be fussed over and doted on in more affluent families.

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Anna Faith Childers

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05/23/2014

Roy Sherman Childers. This is the first time I've ever seen anyone else with my last name outside my family. Quite a happy moment. ^_^

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Jill Delci

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05/23/2014

I have a picture of my great-uncle (he was born in 1909)-same thing.

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Betty Acosta

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05/23/2014

Early cross dressing????

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Shari Adams Cygan

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05/23/2014

My grandfather was born in 1905 and had his photo taken in 1907. On the back is written "Child is still alive."

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Kathy Barboza

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05/23/2014

Why do you suppse they did this?

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Patty Hourihan Mayo

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05/23/2014

My Grandfather had long bologna curls...But was wearing nickers in the picture

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Joan Brown

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05/23/2014

That's a bit much. I get the dress, but not the bows.

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Sharon Kay McNamara

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05/23/2014

My dad was born in 1913, he had long curls. Actually, I still have them. Is that creepy? My kids think so.

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Nancy Murray Marxen

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05/23/2014

No, it is not creepy.

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Joey Mitchell

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05/23/2014

I have also heard that in days past all children were called girls . The actual girls were called gae girls was the distinction .

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Marie Hutchison

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05/23/2014

Oh so sweet

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April Browning

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05/23/2014

I have a picture of my grandpa wearing a dress and he was born in the mid 20s

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Joan Brown

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05/23/2014

So if what people are saying...boys hair parted on the side and girls in the middle...then this is a girl!

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Kathy Pinna

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05/23/2014

I haven't seen the bows either (lots of boys in "dresses" - even my own grandfather!) but I hear that boys had bows/ribbons too!

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Ken Marcewicz

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05/23/2014

Had no idea

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Ginny Young Kellum

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05/23/2014

You see a lot of the paintings on the Antiques Roadshow from the 1800's that you can't tell if it's a girl or a boy... the appraiser the other night said the only way you could tell is by the accessories they have - girls usually had cats, rabbits & boys more masculine accessories.

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Diane Deeney

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05/23/2014

That isn't a boy they wouldn't have put bows in his hair.

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Gerry Roule

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05/23/2014

And to think some of these dudes are still wearing dresses today

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Gerry Roule

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05/23/2014

Haha

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June M. Boomhower

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05/23/2014

My Uncle born in 39s had photo like this

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Diana Belzunce

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05/23/2014

Es muy hermosa y muy dulce.....!!!!!

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Zoe Adams

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05/23/2014

Defiantly looks like a girl to me.

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Tina Hyatt

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05/23/2014

@Anna Faith Childers. My name isn't too common either.. i heard recently that a legendary porn star had it also.. yay.. heheh ugh

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Cheryl LaSarre Gaddis

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05/23/2014

Why is that? My grandfather was born in 1893 and I have several photos of him during the first years of his life where he is dressed in a "dress".

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Tommy Nichols

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05/23/2014

You did this to me didn't you Lynda Warner

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Kay Mcintyre

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05/23/2014

what???

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Stacey Rae Chamberlain

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05/23/2014

My father in laws mother put him in dresses when he was small back in the 40s

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Tamara Siddiqui

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05/23/2014

Thought everyone wanted boys.

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Jeanette Neese

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05/23/2014

I never understood why...does anyone know?

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Kelly Trim

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05/23/2014

Diapers.

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Rhonda Julian Bezjian

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05/23/2014

That's very odd ....

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Lisa Bagley Tarr

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05/23/2014

Did not know this......I wonder how many of my little girl vintage photos are really little boys.....lol Oh well their still cute!!lol ♡

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Paul Brumana Sr

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05/23/2014

I have a pic of my Dad and his brothers in dresses, but no hairstyles like girls.

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Bee Rems

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05/23/2014

wonder why they did that?

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Linda Castle Eppinger

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05/23/2014

Yep, it was easier to change the diapers

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Linda Burtchell Boulette

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05/23/2014

My late brother Wayne wore shoulder length blonde Curley hair until he was three then according to my older siblings my dad took him out one day and brought back another kid with short boy 's hair! All his sisters cried and begged Daddy to take this boy back and go get Wayne! Lol

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Sharon Pryor

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05/23/2014

I didn't know that ! How odd.

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Ashley Hinz

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05/23/2014

Hair bows for a boy?

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Koni K. Keith-Fisher

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05/23/2014

That has always seemed so odd to me

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Lisa Hickman

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05/23/2014

The boys also wore dresses well before the Civil War as well. The infant mortality rate was so high and those satin dresses were so expensive to make (the material had to be shipped in from Europe via China) that the dresses became gender neutral until it was obvious the little boy would survive. Living in the Deep South and touring dozens of homes, I've seen pictures of these many times.

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Norma E Salazar

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05/23/2014

I've seen pictures of my grandfather in 1908 and he's dressed like a boy in all of them. People are weird

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Bonny Long

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05/23/2014

I read that if the dress buttoned up the front it was most likely a boy. The girls dresses buttoned up the back. No idea why they did this.

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Jeannette Webb-Heimlich

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05/23/2014

yes boys had long hair

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Rachel Perez Burkart

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05/23/2014

Why did they wear dresses?

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Marina Adame

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05/23/2014

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Elizabeth Mc Allister

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05/23/2014

On obvious idea that strikes me is diapers/potty training. MUCH easier in a dress then in pants. Also, much easier to 'pass down' a gender neutral item of clothing.

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Chris Simpson

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05/24/2014

you have it exactly right.mum put a dress on me 63 years ago

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Janet Bursott

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05/23/2014

We wonder why we currently have gender confused people!!!!

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Mary Crestani Silantyev

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05/23/2014

How awful I can't understand why? Little boys look like boys today.

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Darlen CootsTank

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05/23/2014

Makes a cute little girl

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Tery Foale Leavell

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05/23/2014

Too weird! I bet they got tired of saying"he's a boy,he's a boy..........!!!"

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Linda Beron

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05/23/2014

this is a boy???

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Leslie Anne Meyer

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05/23/2014

You guys seem to think that fashion remains static from century to century.

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Laurie Loy Foreman

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05/23/2014

My grandpa was born in 1893 and has a picture like this. He had banana curls. He did not look very happy either in the picture.

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Margarita Boyer

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05/23/2014

lovely

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Dianne Boomer

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05/23/2014

And sometimes they wore pink, which back then was called "light red".

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Scarlett Cross

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05/23/2014

My dad was born in 1921 and wore a similar outfit.

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Karen Floyd

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05/23/2014

Originally pink was for boys (as it was considered the colour of strength) and blue was for girls. Amazing how things change.

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Nancy Murray Marxen

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05/23/2014

I know that when we got new bikes, my brother's bike was red, and we girls got blue bikes…

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Debbie Brown

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05/23/2014

Funny how. Old movies don't show little boys in dresses

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Sophie Maisonneuve

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05/23/2014

Dresses are NOT for boys!!!

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Debbie Brown

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05/23/2014

I think my Mom has picture of my pampaw in a looks like christening Gown. But i dont remember him having any hair ribbons..

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Ellen Payne Whitley

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05/23/2014

My dad, born in 1914, has a similar picture but absolutely no ribbons. That does seem odd. And, boys' hair was parted on the side even if long. He said that you weren't a man until you outgrew your "short pants " which were knickers!

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Melissa Covey

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05/23/2014

Is it just me Carly or does this kid look like Scout?♥

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Robin Santistevan

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05/23/2014

♥

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Marie Nicholas

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05/23/2014

❤️💋

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Rickie McAuley

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05/23/2014

I didn't realize this

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Joy Lockett

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05/23/2014

.... and the story goes that they soon realised that boys, even little boys, needed some restraint - hence trousers were born!!!! Imagine boys in the high school/college classrooms with skirts on - look out girls!!! (or under). T/hee.

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Nancy Murray Marxen

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05/23/2014

Kilts

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Joy Lockett

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05/23/2014

Yes Nancy - gotta watch those Scots.

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Sherry Black

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05/23/2014

I knew they wore them as babies but not like this.

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Carly Lemieux

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05/23/2014

Melissa - i totally see it!

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Alexandra Sweatt

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05/23/2014

Odd, that some people don't know this! This was the norm. It wasn't horrifying for them.

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Lorine Montez

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05/23/2014

I know! They wore them until they were 100% potty trained! It's amazing!!! Idk what's up with his hair tho?!

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Iva A. Green

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05/23/2014

I never knew about the hair either. I have old photos of my dad as well as my brothers in dresses. They didn't have all that much hair in their pictures.

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Alex Espinoza

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05/23/2014

Say whaaaaat??

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Joan Langston Parrett

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05/23/2014

Clothes like a girl r maybe ok, but the bows in the hair style of a girl? Poor boy(s)...

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Shannon Taylor Bird

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05/23/2014

None of my male ancestors had their hair done like this in their pictures. Dresses yes, no bows. Are you sure the picture isn't mislabeled?

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Donna Carano-Cooper

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05/23/2014

Why?

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Barbara Hall Converse

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05/23/2014

I have never seen the hair done n a girl's style

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Nicollette Vaughn

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05/23/2014

Rain Vogel. This reminds me of something you would like

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Rain Vogel

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05/23/2014

And he's a boy! Wow!

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Donna Biichle Gondek

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05/23/2014

Why?

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Marie Ballard-Anders

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05/23/2014

This is one of the strangest customs I have ever heard about. I do know it is true, however. A friend of ours has a photo of her Grandfather displayed. He was probably ten. He died a few years ago, past the age of ninety. Although he is wearing a little suit, there are quite a bit of ruffles on his shirt. The most interesting thing, is his hair. It is at his shoulders and is fixed in perfect long coils. 😊

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Alisa Lisa Farrell McCombs

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05/23/2014

and yet these young boys dressed as girls became real men - something that so many boys struggle with today....

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Mary Lefor

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05/23/2014

thank god I saw this, my dad was born in 1917 and was also in a dress, anyone have the answer?

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Barbara Morgan

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05/23/2014

Are you sure that is a boy? I have seen pictures of boys with long hair and the dresses until 3 but never with ribbons in their hair

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Shari McElhaney Telek

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05/23/2014

There was a picture of my grandmother holding my dad as a baby on her lap. He was in a dress!

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Carmen Quinley Naquin

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05/23/2014

Omg...SO WRONG

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Amy S. Petrik

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05/23/2014

This is how Ted Bundy was dressed too and how he grew up to murder so many women. Sad.

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Lyn Smith Sager

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05/23/2014

Just imagine what OUR descendants are going to say about our clothes & customs 100-125 years from now. We will look just as strange to them as our ancestors look to us. Clothing & customs are constantly changing; sometimes they come back into style!

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Christy Roberts

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05/23/2014

They weren't dressed 'as girls', they were dressed as babies and toddlers in a nod to the asexuality of children. The first milestone was 'shortening' the dress so that the baby could crawl freely, the second was putting a boy in pants. It was nothing to do with cross dressing or gender dysphoria or anything like that. And I would say it came about with passing down clothing when clothing was harder to come by - why not put all te babies in the same clothes?

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Sherry Brose

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05/23/2014

I never knew that.

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Cathey Watkins

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05/23/2014

My father was born in 1925, have pictures of him with long hair. But no bows!

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Sue Beck Esopo

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05/23/2014

This article mentions the use of hair bows by boys.http://www.ehow.com/info_7997419_childrens-hair-fashion-1900s.html

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Dawn MacTaggart

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05/23/2014

My father was born in 1901 and boys wore dresses and long curls until they were about 5. There was a picture that hung in my home until after my parents were both gone that showed Dad and his brother just younger than he in dresses and Dad had long black curls...my uncle had a "dutch bob". Dad was about 5 at the time the picture was taken.

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Opal Rae Waters

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05/23/2014

What the hell where people thinking???

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Yanna Spetseri Kafkala

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05/23/2014

My dad . Greece 1919

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Lauren Tohill Woody

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05/23/2014

We have one! We used to hang it over our electrical box and when friends came over we'd wave our EMF detector over it and tell them it was haunted. Feel free to steal that idea - endless fun.

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Janet Gooden

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05/23/2014

What the what??? What would have been the reasoning behind this??? A Mom who'd wanted a Girl???

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Debbie Verrette

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05/23/2014

I was told the reason they wore dresses till then was because they wore them till they were potty trained

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Kazza Tuckenheimer

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05/23/2014

Children are so gender assigned now- pink for girls, blue for boys. In the 1900's pink was a male colour. Lots of things change over time. Look at the old adage "spare the rod and spoil the child". Soon hitting children will be totally unacceptable, but when I was growing up, we all got a decent spanking. In my fathers time, they got a caning, his father was flogged. Things change.

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Mark Jones

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05/23/2014

Was your grandpa gay?, dont't worry bout it, that was 100 yrs ago,BUT our parents worry bout US being Gay?

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Evelyn Jepson

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05/23/2014

actually have a photo of my dad...and I always thought it was a girl in the shot...when I asked my dad...he said that's me...I was like that up until I went to school...at 5.....ooops....

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Laurette Modrakowski

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05/23/2014

Must have been somekind of punishment - embarrass the child into using the potty !

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Fabrizio Diana

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05/23/2014

In Scotland men still wear dresses til death ;o)

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Deb Pickens

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05/23/2014

My grandfather wore the dress and 'sausage curls' in his hair at a young age.but I do NOT remember ribbons in his hair..Maybe that was the difference in being able to tell gender at that age?

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Kym Beach

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05/23/2014

When we went on a tour of William Shakespeare's birthplace, they said that all babies then were dressed as girls in the hopes that the evil spirits would pass by thinking they were girls. Male infants have always had a higher mortality rate, and at the time, they thought it was because of the spirits...

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Majella Young

via Facebook

05/23/2014

Kym I could believe this theory

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Cheryl Mcmanus

via Facebook

05/23/2014

I remember when I was about 7, we had a little boy who was dressed as a girl and sent to school that way. Just wrong!, Did not realize the hair was done that way too.

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Carol Osborne

via Facebook

05/23/2014

Yep. Happened in multiple cultures...probably still does. Have known 2 friends in Mexico that were subjected (for lack of a better term) to this as children in the 1950s. In that culture, it was often done as a "thank you" for sparing a child or perhaps another family member. Looked upon with great reverence as well.

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Angela McElwain

via Facebook

05/23/2014

Okay, the riboons in his hair is bit much.

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Coral Grant

via Facebook

05/23/2014

Creepy

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Susan Cummins

via Facebook

05/24/2014

I have pictures of my Dad like this !

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Farrell Fox

via Facebook

05/24/2014

They did wear dresses, some of my elderly relatives got very upset over one photograph, denying it was him completely, interpreting it as a statement and attack on his masculinity.

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Crystal Marie

via Facebook

05/24/2014

My son now 17 months, no haircut, full end curls, no dresses or bows, but people in public stop me to compliment how pretty "she" is.....that's disturbing

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Crystal Marie

via Facebook

05/24/2014

Someone made a good point
To keep the priests away....
?

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Thea Keepe

via Facebook

05/24/2014

Also children had to stand by the table for eating there breakfast dinner ect i know this from my grandmother she was born in 1901 r.i.p

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Robin Pearn Reynolds

via Facebook

05/24/2014

But bows in the hair? No, this one is a girl.

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Luisa Franchin

via Facebook

05/24/2014

chissa questa bambina se sara' una vecchietta o chissa?

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Phyllis Laraway

22 favorites

05/24/2014

I was told it was easier to potty train them with dresses on who know

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Filipe Medeiros

3 followers 212 favorites

05/27/2014

This is the first time I've ever heard a sensible reason for why they did this

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Annette Mathewson

via Facebook

05/24/2014

It wasn't a dress as such it was a smock. Easier for toilet training than pants. Never seen a boy ever with hair done as a girl tho

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Hayden McCamley Shannon

via Facebook

05/24/2014

My great grandfather around 1902

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Dolores Hettel Bartlett

via Facebook

05/24/2014

Imagine that???

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Melissa D. Matt

via Facebook

05/24/2014

I'm finding this comment thread fascinating! I've heard about the potty training reason but the carryover tradition about evil spirits is convincing. Look at the tradition (still being done in the early 20th century) of putting used children's shoes in the walls of houses when being built; this originates from ancient child sacrifice.

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Kate N Mike Baltes

via Facebook

05/24/2014

I had heard boys wore pink or a washed out red.

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Susanne Zimmer Basque

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05/24/2014

If you would do that now a days, you would be on Dr. Phil!! In fact , there was an episode about a couple who let their young son dress in whatever he wanted including skirts and such!

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Susan Estes

via Facebook

05/24/2014

Cute little guy!

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Cindy Drijfhout

via Facebook

05/24/2014

Triest .

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Annette Jackson

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05/24/2014

I never have understood why people did this...any particular reason ever found?

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Nancy Osborn

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05/24/2014

I have an old photo of my dad in a dress when he was very little.

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Mallory Cook

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05/24/2014

somewhere around (I guess my cousins have it) there is a pic of my grandfather Guy Harvey Mallory b. 1891 in Admire, Allen Co., Ks. in a dress and long locks

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Zoë J Molloy

via Facebook

05/24/2014

Poor little lad!

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Janet Shepherd Holey

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05/24/2014

No wonder men are confused...

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Dorothy P Heade

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05/24/2014

I have all my mother's family's pictures and at least a dozen look just like this. I think there was only one chair and all the photographer passed it around.

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Angie Coote

via Facebook

05/24/2014

That is a girl
They never used bows on boys...

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Debra Ruffing

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05/24/2014

There is a difference in hair...I remember from Smithsonian in DC.

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Sylvia Maltzman

23 favorites

05/28/2014

Depending on the culture, some people would try to hide the fact that they had a boy from the evil spirits (and the evil humans) who were more interested in stealing male children than female children. This is more common in societies with a very high infant mortality rate.

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Carmen Peters

5 favorites

05/28/2014

That is quite right. It occured in the mid Western part of the US as well.

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Filipe Medeiros

3 followers 212 favorites

05/29/2014

That's amazing. I always considered that kind of old world religion - I often forget that a lot of that carried over to the US.

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Sylvia Maltzman

23 favorites

05/29/2014

You might be surprised to find how much superstition was mixed into daily life. When I was a Pagan, I learned about Celtic beliefs. Some Catholics in Ireland even today incorporate Celtic magical traditions into Catholic life. There's a blessing over the hearth fire which invokes Brigit to the front of the hearth and Mother Mary to the back of it. I guess that's to protect the house from burning down from sparks going either way. Not sure.

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Filipe Medeiros

3 followers 212 favorites

05/30/2014

I was raised Catholic and I know there's a TON of Pagan/Celtic beliefs that were co-opted by the religion. Good point!

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Sal Six

2 followers 165 favorites

05/29/2014

Yes they did dress girls and boys alike. My dad had long black ringlets past his shoulders until he was 5 yrs old :)

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Jayne Bealmear

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06/23/2014

I have a picture of my father dressed like this...long curls & all~!!~ :)

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Nancy W Thompson

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06/24/2014

thats a little girl, i belived

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Nancy Fazio Green

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07/01/2014

beautiful little girl

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Deanna Stevens

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07/06/2014

I was told it was because Boy babies were kidnapped by farmer's and other people who needed laborers, or people who never had their own boys.The boys were still considered worth more than girls.Nobody kidnapped the girl babies.

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Rod Warren

via Facebook

11/03/2014

Why? That's what I want to know. Why dress little boys as little girls? For what purpose?

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Anne Chizek Bagby

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12/09/2014

My great uncle had snow white hair down his back ..was dressed in a middy blouse..had a bow in his hair..I thought it was his sister but it wasn't..

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Mary Jane Perez Cornielle

55 favorites

02/19/2015

I wonder why they were dressed in dresses, and had bows in their hair, does anybody out there know?!

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Joan McCarty

via Facebook

07/07/2015

my dad had beautiful long hair till age five. he so handsome looked like a girl.

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Shelia Wiseman

4 followers 208 favorites

09/14/2018

It has been quite a while since I've logged on here. Some of these comments about my GRANDFATHER are ridiculous. That picture IS A BOY and YES, they DID use bows in some boy's hair. I don't know why, because he grew up in a Christian home, not pagan or Catholic. I have more pictures of his siblings with bows in both boys and girl's hair.

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Shelia Wiseman

4 followers 208 favorites

09/14/2018

The dresses/smocks were used until the boys were potty trained and then they switched to "britches." If someone can explain the bows, I will listen. But, to make ugly remarks about something or someone you know nothing about, is childish and assumptive. Do your research and post something informative. And whoever asked if my Grandfather was gay...no, he was not. He was happily married to my Grandmother until she passed away in 1985. He was a hard-working, Christian man and did not have any gender disorders.

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